Hidden
by AddisonSp
Summary: It finally happened, but do things ever work out as planned? How will our favorite couple cope with each other when they must flee and are hidden away from all that they know for her safety? Immediately follows 4x23. Now Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**This is the product of a long layover in an annoying airport called LAX. I wasn't sure if I was going to publish it, but maybe someone else will enjoy it. It takes place immediately after the finale, but it isn't the typical following that one would expect. I will add chapters as time permits. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own them.**

* * *

A loud knock at the door startled him out of what had been one of the most peaceful slumbers he could recall having in a long time. He waited for a moment in irritation, noting the hour reflected on his clock, and hoping that the intrusive knocker would simply go away. With another series of rapid bangs he knew that this was not going to be the case.

"Hmmmmm…answer the door Castle. Make it stop." Came the groggy voice of his partner, who was now laying next to him in his bed. They'd only fallen asleep about 2 hours ago, spending most of the evening exhausting themselves in each other's arms.

He was unsure of her when she'd shown up at his door hours ago, soaked to the bone and staring into his soul as if he could single-handedly fix her. The pain of trying to hold back when she kissed him was unbearable, but as he listened to her words and took in the sincerity on her face, he started to let his own wall come down.

Soon he couldn't stop himself, needing to touch her, to affirm her presence and her feelings about him. No more words were spoken as they made their way to his bedroom, falling into bed and expressing their hearts through touch. Soon enough the tenderness gave way to passion, as 4 years of sexual tension came to the forefront and threatened to consume them.

The storm outside seemed to crescendo in the moments he entered her, lightening flashing through the room as she grasped his back desperately. Her uninhibited moans caused him to disconnect from rationality as he became more feral in his movements. Finally, with a loud scream, "Casssttlllee!" she fell apart, taking him with her as she fell.

He collapsed on her, both of their bodies covered in sweat, and feeling completely boneless as they panted; their heart rates slowly coming down. Through the tingles that ran through her body, sending dull waves of pleasure through her fingertips and toes in the after effects of her orgasm, she pulled him tightly to her. "Stay close," she whispered, "I'm not ready to let go."

When it was over they simply fell asleep, he exhausted from the physical exertion and she unsure of how to follow up the intensity of their lovemaking with words. She knew that they were going to have to talk, to have a conversation soon, but they'd come far enough for one night.

* * *

Richard Castle stumbled around his bedroom trying to locate his boxer shorts, finally finding them and making his way through the chilly loft as the knocking became more insistent. He finally gave a yell,

"hold on a damn minute. It's 4am." He opened the door and was met with a surprise. There, on the other side of the door were two women he'd never expected to see. One was a very steely Victoria Gates and the other was none other than Special Agent Jordan Shaw. They didn't bother to wait for the surprise to leave his face before they started talking.

"Mr. Castle." Jordan nodded a greeting. He simply opened the door further to allow them in.

"Mr. Castle we're actually looking for Beckett. We tried her apartment and her cell, but to no luck. Special Agent Shaw thought it would be worth checking with you, although I'm not sure why at this hour..." Gates was cut off by the voice of Kate Beckett, as she stumbled out of Rick's bedroom, clad only in the maroon shirt he'd worn the previous day.

"Who the hell is it Castle?" She spoke, still shaking the fog from her sleepy brain.

Both women turned to Beckett, who turned a deep shade of crimson when she realized who their company was. Gates crossed her arms and looked disapprovingly at Beckett, while Jordan just arched an eyebrow and smirked.

"It's good to see you too Beckett," the agent spoke.

"uh…um…what are you doing here?" Kate asked the women, obviously flustered by the current situation. A part of her brain went on the defensive when she saw Gates' glare, _It's not your business _she thought, _I don't work for you anymore._

Gates spoke up then, "I received an interesting call this evening from a man I believe you call Mr. Smith, Castle?" Rick's eyes widened in shock as he started to speak,

"He's only ever contacted me."

"Well, it seems your last conversation left him with some doubts concerning detective Beckett's safety. Therefore, he made the decision to involve me in order to quickly protect detective Beckett. I informed him that she resigned and he is taking that to whoever these people are in attempt to appease them." She explained before continuing.

"I'm glad detective Ryan had the foresight to fill me in, or I would have been completely lost, not to mention much less likely to take what the man had to say seriously." She gave both Castle and Beckett a stern glare.

Castle spoke up then, turning to Beckett, "You resigned?" He asked her incredulously. She simply stared back at him before replying, "I thought I made it clear to you what I did and didn't want." He shook his head at her reply and began a rebuttal, "yeah, but-"

"Enough!" Agent Shaw yelled at both of them. "Time is of the essence here so I need for the both of you to be quiet, listen and do what you're told." They both turned to her with that, dumbfounded. Gates took in their confused expressions and filled in some of their gaps in knowledge.

"Mr. Smith informed me that whatever arrangement you all had worked out," she motioned with her hands as she spoke the word _arrangement, _indicating she didn't know the specifics, "whatever you'd agreed upon, is out."

"What?" Castle yelled. "How can it be out? That was the only thing keeping her alive. She backed off." He was starting to panic.

"Well," Shaw interrupted, "we've got to change the plans now if we want to keep her alive." They both turned to Shaw, _How the hell does she know_? They thought.

"I called Special Agent Shaw in to help get her out of dodge, to hide her somewhere where they can't get to her." Gates explained as she motioned to Beckett.

Meanwhile, Kate observed the interplay between the other three adults in the room, becoming increasingly enraged with every passing moment. "Wait a damn minute!" She finally yelled.

"Would you all just stop talking about me like I'm not in the room. Stop talking about my life as if I have no say in it. I'm not some child that needs protection and I am fully capable of taking care of myself." Castle cringed, recalling the conversation they'd had days ago. However, Shaw wasn't deterred by Kate's outburst in the slightest.

"Beckett they're coming for you and they're coming for you now. You have to leave and we're going to get you to safety. Sure you can take care of yourself, but if you go into hiding for the time being we can take them all down. We've got people on this now and they won't get away with it. Now I need you to trust me. Do you understand?" Shaw put her hands on Kate's arms and urged the woman to understand the importance of her consent to go into hiding.

Kate shook her head, she was clearly pissed about the whole situation, but understood. "Fine," she said. It wasn't like she could argue the point too much, one man had damn near thrown her off a roof less than 12 hours ago. She wouldn't stand a chance against many more like him.

Shaw turned to Gates and nodded, obviously communicating something that they'd discussed earlier. With that Gates turned to Kate and patted her arm, "be safe Beckett." She spoke, before quickly making her way out of the loft.

"The fewer people that accompany us the better," Shaw spoke. Looking out the windows and taking mental inventory of her surroundings. Kate made her way back to Rick's bedroom to get dressed. While she was gone Rick spoke.

"So where are you taking us?" He asked.

"I'm not taking you anywhere Mr. Castle, we have no reason to believe your life is in danger." Shaw replied. "Besides, they know you're out now."

"The hell you're not taking me." He came back at her. "If she goes, I go." He stared at the FBI agent.

She was honestly impressed, there had been obvious changes in the man since the last time she'd seen him. Gone was the man-child with the attention span of a cocker spaniel and in his place was a fiercely loyal protector, and she could tell he would not allow himself to be separated from Kate Beckett.

She must have heard the conversation because as Kate made her way from the bedroom, wearing clothing that was still damp from the previous night, she spoke, "Castle, it's ok. You stay here. I'll be just fine." She tried to convey her confidence, to show him that she would do fine on her own.

He simply stared back at her silently for a moment before softly speaking, "where you go. I go. It's as simple as that." The resolve in his voice was firm and she knew that there was no changing his mind. Secretly, she was happy for his company, as the thought of being separated from him so soon after finally making real progress seemed unthinkable.

"Alright Mr. Castle. If you insist on going you need to get dressed and make it fast. We need to move, now." He obliged her by quickly retreating to his room and slipping back into his clothing from the day before.

When she was satisfied that they were both ready to go she spoke again, "leave your cell phones and all other electronic devices here. You don't have time to pack, but we'll be sure that you have access to the things you may need as we get further away from the city." She turned and headed out of the door, motioning for them to follow suit.

Castle stopped for a moment,

"Alexis." He spoke.

Jordan turned back to him and smiled sympathetically. Captain Gates and I will update your family and we'll also keep an eye on them to make sure that they are safe and well. They will know nothing about where you are, but they will know you're safe and you will be with them again soon."

Rick felt his heart breaking a bit as he walked away from his loft, knowing the confusion and hurt that Alexis would feel when she returned at lunchtime tomorrow to find him gone. He knew he had to do this though, if they finally had a shot at ending this and keeping Kate safe, he had to try.

* * *

They entered a car that was parked across the street. Surprisingly, it was not a standard issue black suburban, but a rental car. There were several agents around, wearing plain clothing and awaiting the signal to depart. Shaw explained to them that there would be decoys as a safety precaution, on the off-chance that they were followed.

They drove in silence through the dead of night. Both partners were seated in the back, as supplies had been piled in the driver's seat. Further, the shading of the back provided more privacy and less likelihood of anyone being recognized. They asked where they were going, but Shaw simply replied, "out of the city", and would give no further clue.

Thoughts of their sudden flight from the city ran through her head. She wondered how long she would have to be away. She wondered who would watch over her dad. She felt absolutely horrible that Castle was leaving his family for her, and felt even guiltier because she was happy he was there. It was all overwhelming and she had nothing but the cloths on her back. They'd even been forced to leave their wallets behind, which would be planted elsewhere to act as a red herring of sorts.

Kate's eyes became heavy as the continuous stream of thoughts occupied her mind and soon she was asleep. When she opened her eyes she'd noticed three things. First, she noticed that it was light outside. Second, she'd noticed that they were no longer moving, and third she'd noticed that she'd somehow managed to navigate her way to Richard Castle, who had been acting as her pillow.

She straightened herself out as she looked forward to see Jordan stretching her arms.

"Where are we?" Kate asked.

"We're in Albany." The agent replied. "This is a pit stop. We'll be picking up a few things and then we'll be on the road again."

She looked around them and noticed that they were in a car rental lot. As they waited together in the parking lot, Jordan entered, managed the paperwork, returned to the car and directed the couple that they were moving. Once settled in the new car they were off again. She'd explained to them that the maneuver was simply to change their appearance and to be safe in case tracking devices had been planted on the old vehicle.

Once they were on the road again she finally began to talk. "I trust my men, but didn't want to take any chances. Everyone in my unit thinks that I'm taking you to Albany and that I'm going to stay to help you settle in for awhile." They gathered that this was not the plan as she removed the battery from her phone, merged back onto the interstate and continued further north.

"Nobody is going to know where you are except for me. Should something happen, Gates knows where I've hidden coordinates." Both Castle and Beckett nodded at her.

"So where are we actually going?" Rick asked.

"We're going someplace that's not technically on a map. It is a place that I discovered quite some time ago. You'll have adequate shelter and a source of fresh water, but you'll be roughing it." She explained.

"I also only expect you to see very few, if any people. Truth be told, you can live up here for months at a time and not see another living soul." Soon they got off at another exit and pulled into a department store.

"You both pick up clothing and other essentials while I get more supplies. You should plan for several weeks so that you can survive for an extended period of time." She directed them before heading in the other direction.

They made their way around the store, a cart shared by Castle and Beckett as they added items that they needed. Pants, shirts, sweaters, jackets, socks, sneakers, boots, undergarments and night cloths were all picked up. Castle made a bee line for razors and deodorant as Beckett grabbed similar supplies and additional essential products.

They spotted Jordan as they neared the front of the store. She'd filled a cart with additional supplies, ranging from cooking utensils to blankets and pillows, to detergent and lighters. Also selected were several boxes of various non-perishable food items. They couldn't really see what else was in the over-filled cart. As they walked toward the checkout line she asked,

"So how are you guys with hunting and fishing?" She asked them.

"My dad used to take me when I was younger. I wasn't very good, but I've got the basics down. I'm more confidant in my abilities to fish than I am in my ability to hunt though." She explained.

For his part, Castle simply stated, "I took a class in bush craft while researching for my 3rd Derrick Storm novel, when he was stranded in the arctic tundra." Kate just looked at him, her sarcastic expression clearly communicating, _are you serious?,_ he hesitated when he saw her.

"but I never actually tried any of it." He finally admitted.

Shaw simply ignored him and turned to Beckett. You've got enough food here to make it last, especially if you can supplement with fish. Kate nodded to her in understanding. It certainly seemed that they were going to be in this for the long haul.

* * *

With the trunk packed they were back on the road. They drove in silence for what seemed like hours, the area becoming more and more isolated the further north they drove. It became apparent soon that they were entering the mountains, as their altitude increased and the roads became narrow and curved.

Long after leaving the highway, Shaw took a left turn and headed down a bumpy road, immersed completely in the wooded area of the mountain they were on. They continued to wind around until they finally found themselves in a small open field.

There, in the center of the field, was an old log cabin. To say that it was in disrepair would have been a kind assessment, while Rick silently wondered if the structure had been condemned. _Of course not_, he thought to himself, _to condemn it someone would need to know it existed_.

She pulled to a stop and the three adults got out of the car. "I know it needs a lot of work, but you've got nothing but time, and I've included cleaning supplies." She spoke bluntly.

"It might not be much to look at, but you've got a well with a manual pump, a water line to the cabin, and a wooden stove. The outhouse is around back. You'll also find a woodshed, but you'll have to create your own privacy area to shower." She looked back at them to find their mouths open with shock. Rolling her eyes she simply stated, "Trust me, it could be a lot worse."

They walked towards the structure, which had a full front porch and railings surrounding it. Kate thought that if it weren't so old and unkempt, it would have been a very attractive home. Obviously on her wavelength, Castle spoke,

"Once upon a time, I'll bet this house was very nice. How did you know it was here Jordan?" He asked her.

"When I was a little girl I would visit my cousins over on Lake George. One of their aunts, on the other side of the family, had this place passed down to her. We would come up here and spend weeks at a time here." She spoke somewhat wistfully, as if she were trying to grasp long-lost memories. .

"Anyhow," she spoke with a more neutral tone, "I figured that this would be a good place. It's in my family, but not my direct line of the family. I have no claim to it, but know that it's been abandoned for some time. Nobody will bother you here."

She walked onto the wooden porch and opened the old screen, pushing the door behind it open. Stepping in she simply spoke to them over her shoulder, "well, come on. We're home."

They stepped inside, hit with a dusty old smell that somewhat resembled old papers and dirt. She moved to the sink and tested it. "The waterline should still be good." She spoke as if she had authority or that she knew something of the place that they didn't.

"How could things still be functioning if they've been abandoned for so long?" Beckett asked her.

"Last year, my husband and I were going to bring our daughter up here. I checked on the status of the place and arranged with my cousin for the water line to be checked and plumbing to be fixed if needed. We never did get up here though, work got in the way as it always does." She spoke sardonically.

"You have water to the sink, and it drains into a 10 gallon bucket. You'll want to keep an eye on it to drain before they overfill and flood your floor when you're doing dishes." She warned them.

"Obviously there is no power, but the fireplace and the wooden stove should keep you warm at night."

Castle and Beckett took in the small cabin as Jordan moved about, pulling open the curtains and allowing the light in. Once the windows were opened and the door was propped, it was much easier to for them see. They were silent as they took in their surroundings.

As they stood at the entrance they saw that the cabin featured one small room, with a somewhat secure looking staircase leading up to a small loft area. To their right was the kitchen area, complete with a small sink, an old table with chairs, and a wood stove. There was a large window over the sink that looked out onto the back area of the cabin, which led to a small spring.

Jordan stepped beside Kate, who had made her way to the kitchen and spoke, "That spring also taps into the same aquifer that feeds your well. It is safe and wonderful to swim in when it is warm enough. Get closer and you'll see it feed into a small stream. Follow it a bit and you'll find several good fishing spots." Kate nodded to her and looked back outside, she saw the outhouse and the woodshed, but also noticed another structure, or what was left of it.  
"What is that supposed to be?" Kate pointed to the small, square frame.

"That is where we used to shower, as you can see it needs some work. However, I got some tarp and a solar shower bag. You could hang it there if you really wanted to." Kate cringed, not liking the idea of showering out in the open. Perhaps she and castle could rig something a little closer to the cabin.

Aside from the small structures and the springs, their clearing was soon enveloped back in heavily wooded acreage. "It really would be impossible to find this place." Kate reflected out loud and Jordan nodded her agreement.

They both turned when they heard Castle speak from the other side of the dusty cabin, "Is the fireplace safe to use?" He questioned.

Jordan responded, "I don't see why not. It could use some cleaning, but there is plenty of wood in the shed. Do you know how to light a fire Mr. Castle?" He nodded to her, ignoring the snarky nature of her comment.

"Yes, that I can do. We used to vacation in a cabin when Alexis was little. It had many more…amenities than this, but I get the idea of the fireplace and the wood-burning stove, thanks."

"Great", she spoke as she moved towards where he stood. There was an old dusty couch and another chair by the fireplace. There was also an old bookcase against one of the walls, filled with various books. Both Castle and Beckett made a mental note to look further into the titles that were available to them later.

Shaw moved up the stairs, a creaking noise as she moved indicating that they had not been used in some time. "Follow me, I promise they're safe." She spoke as she made her way to the overhead loft.

When all three were standing they saw that the room was fairly small, room only for the large bed and a dresser. From the ledge, which was guarded with the same wooden railings as adorned the staircase, the entirety of the cabin below could be seen. "Um," Kate spoke, "there's only one bed here."

Shaw just turned and looked at her, Castle saying nothing, but feeling somewhat slapped in the face by her comment. Afterall, weren't they together now? He didn't know what to believe, but hearing her objection hurt him.

"Well," Jordan began, "this is what we've got, so you're going to have to make due." She turned to look at Castle and then back at Beckett before adding,

"Besides, you didn't seem to mind it when we found you this morning."

Kate blushed furiously; it didn't even occur to her that they were actually together now, if they actually were together. They hadn't talked about it. _Hell, it was just last night_. She shivered internally as the thought crossed her mind, bringing with it flashes and memories of the intense pleasure they'd brought eachother the night before.

Kate didn't speak about it again, feeling foolish for objecting and afraid to make eye contact with Rick. It hit her again, _Holy hell we actually had sex last night!_ She wasn't sure what was more overwhelming, the fact that they'd finally done it and she'd expressed her feelings and desires, or the fact that she desperately wanted to do it again.

Jordan interrupted her thoughts again, and she was happy for the distraction. "It's early May and it will be cold at night, but not freezing hopefully. I've got new blankets and bed sheets among your supplies. If it does get too cold the stove or the fireplace should heat the whole place. Plus, heat rises." She pointed to the fireplace and motioned her hands upward to demonstrate her point about the heat. She smiled to both of them before turning around and heading back down the stairs.

They looked at eachother for a moment and Kate gave him a somewhat apologetic look for her earlier comment, adding "a habit I suppose." He nodded, but let it go. They were going to have plenty of time to talk, considering they were about to be left to their own devices for an unspecified amount of time.

Before he descended to join the other women, who were back in the kitchen talking, he simply looked at the small living space that the two would be sharing. It was going to be rough, especially considering they were going to do it without power or indoor plumbing.

Finally he looked at Kate. He watched her as she stood, her hair pulled back into a loose ponytail and her arms folded across her midsection as she nodded at whatever Shaw was telling her. She'd removed her jacket and stood in the dark jeans and white button-up shirt she'd worn the day before.

_God, she's gorgeous, _he thought to himself. He knew that there was no hope for him where she was concerned. This was especially the case after last night, after he'd touched every inch of her body and tasted her. Now he knew how she smelled and what her moans sounded like, and he knew how her fingers grasped and her toes curled when she fell apart beneath him. He knew how it sounded when she spoke his name in desperation and there was no going back.

No, for him it was hopeless, there was no way of getting her out of his system now. The best he could do now was use however much time they had together in this place to make things the same for her. He was going to invade her the way she did him; he'd show her how great they were and how much better they could still be.

Although he didn't know how long they would be left in this place, or how they would co-exist in this isolated world; He did know that things were going to become very interesting between them. She turned back, as if sensing his gaze on her.

When they locked eyes there was intensity there. It was one that nearly stole her breath and made her knees weak._ Oh yes_, she thought to herself, as if the two were sharing the same line of consciousness, _things are about to get interesting._

* * *

**AN: I'm very curious to know what people think of the premise. Continue or no? Review with opinions please :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello readers. Thanks for the encouragement. It is good to know that people like the premise. Continue to review, they are very helpful and encouraging. **

* * *

Rick Castle made his way down the stairs to join Agent Shaw and Beckett, who were making their way back to the car to begin the long process of unloading. He grabbed the bags containing their personal items and carried them to the bed, leaving them there before returning to the car.

Beckett and Shaw carried bags and crates into the cabin, leaving what would fit on the table and the rest on the couch. Castle returned to help them with several more boxes, filled with supplies he'd supposed. Finally, she moved to the trunk and opened it to reveal several firearms.

She'd moved those when Castle and Beckett were busy transferring other items from one rented car to the next, they'd figured. Castle looked at her with surprise, but Beckett simply let out a breath of relaxation. She was comforted to know that they weren't going to be left alone in the woods with no protection.

"There is more than enough ammo here, but I got plenty of extra to be sure." Beckett nodded at her and glanced at the guns that they now had access to. She would make time for inventory later. She also saw there was a pair of fishing poles. As she reached for one, Shaw spoke again,

"More supplies are inside, I suggest using worms for bait. You can get really good earth worms up here, especially after it rains." She informed Kate.

The women carried the firearms while Castle grabbed the poles, leaving the car now completely empty and their supplies in the cabin.

Shaw stood to face them once they were in the kitchen, speaking to both of them at once,

"You really should have all you need here. I'm not sure what is in the woodshed, but check labels to be sure that shelf-life hasn't expired on foods there." She spoke.

"I will be back for you both as soon as it is safe. In the mean time, be discreet and use common sense. I need to get back on the road before anyone tries to contact me in Albany and questions my whereabouts." She turned to leave, but was interrupted by Castle,

"Wait? That's it?" He spoke.

"Well what else do you want? You should be safe and relatively comfortable up here." At the expression on his face, her voice softened,  
"I promise that I will do whatever is necessary to keep your loved one's safe, and I will protect Alexis as if she were my own daughter." He nodded to her.

"Is there any way that we can reach you?" Beckett asked her.

"No. You shouldn't reach me." Came her reply.

"Well at least tell us where exactly we are!" Kate commanded.

Shaw sighed and spoke again, "You're somewhere in Hamilton County, New York. The entire county exists within the confines of the forests and mountains. You're in the Adirondacks, obviously; specifically in a wilderness reserve. You are far from the nearest living resident and tourists and campers stick to the eastern side of the county…you're on the west." She looked at both of them.

"Are you satisfied?" the agent asked.

They both nodded. Beckett knew that when it came to New York, they really were in the least populated area in the entirety of the state. Shaw wasn't joking when she said they'd be alone. Tourists were attracted to areas like this because it was so un-touched, but as Shaw noted, they didn't venture into the western side of the reserve; which was undeveloped, even for wilderness retreats.

Shaw grabbed her keys and turned to leave before turning back to look at them one last time.

"Take care of yourselves, and eachother. I'll be back as soon as I can." With that she made her way from the cabin and to the car. They watched as she backed up, turned around and drove away; leaving the pair completely alone and in the wilderness.

Within moments her car disappeared and they were alone.

* * *

Castle simply stared at where Shaw had been moments ago, lost in his own thoughts about the people they'd left behind. It wasn't going to be easy to be away from his daughter, and without affirmation of her well-being, he was likely to go crazy. Beckett looked to him, noting the somber expression on his face and feeling a rush of emotion for the man, she rubbed his back comfortingly.

He looked at her and she offered a smile before speaking, "We'd better unpack and settle in. We want to use the daylight while we've got it and I want this place to be clean." He nodded and welcomed having something to keep himself busy.

Walking into their new home, no matter how temporary it was to be, he took inventory again and spoke, "Do you want to take the upstairs or downstairs?" She raised her eyebrows at him, questioning why he would think of starting elsewhere from where she would. She figured they'd tackle it together. As if replying to her unspoken question, Castle elaborated,

"This is going to take awhile, and I don't know about you, but I do NOT want to sleep in a dirty bed tonight. Jordan said that there were fresh sheets and things here, I'd like to put them to use, wouldn't you?"

Beckett nodded, he had a great point and the thought of sleeping in sheets that were ridiculously old, possibilities of what would be crawling in them, made her squirm. "Yes," she agreed, "please get the bed clean." She peeked in several of the bags until she found the one that was filled with sheets. It was easy to spot the quilt, as it was not in a bag, sitting in its plastic casing instead.

Taking the supplies she handed to him, he made his way upstairs. He wasn't sure where to start, but supposed that opening the large window above the bed would allow fresh air and light in. It was a good start. Next he stripped the bed, jumping back with each sheet he tore from the mattress to avoid any life forms that had taken residence there. He was silently glad that they'd decided to do this separately, as he would prefer that Kate not see his squeamish dance as he ripped the linens from the old, full-sized mattress.

Next he separated the mattress and the box spring, using his hand to beat dust from them as well as he could. When he realized that his task was futile without the help of cleaning supplies, he made his way back to the kitchen.

There he spotted Kate. She'd unpacked all of the bags, organizing the contents into groups representing location and/or function. She had a lot of the cleaning supplies together, grouped with laundry soap. He also saw a pile with tools, including a hammer and nails, and was grateful that they had access to them. Grabbing a pair of scissors from one pile, and a bottle of cleanser from another, he headed back up the stairs.

The first thing he did was cut a hole into some of the old fabric that he'd pulled from the mattress. He was sure that they would wash it all and make use of it, but in the mean time, they needed rags to clean with. After taking enough to make a decent cloth, he began the process of wiping down the bed, and both mattresses for good measure.

He made several more trips down stairs, noting the progress Kate was making as well. She was currently going through the boxes that had been in the car before they'd been picked up. He fought is curiosity to take a mental inventory and instead went for the broom and the dust pan in the corner of the cabin.

He coughed at the dust on the broom, taking a moment to turn to Beckett and ask, "is there a broom to clean up after the broom?" She looked at him sardonically, but nodded her head in understanding. Even the cleaning supplies left in the cabin were in poor condition.

After some use, it appeared to be completely functional, the grime from its bristles simply shaking off and mixing with the pile forming on the bedroom floor until the broom was in good condition again. After sweeping the dust off of the floor, away from the corners, and off of the walls, he tackled the cobwebs and the room started to look livable.

Castle thought to take one of the large, empty boxes that Beckett had unpacked to form a makeshift laundry basket and placed it in the corner. Once the old sheets were out of the way and the dresser was cleaned and wiped down, he put the new sheets on the bed.

He was very grateful that Shaw had thought to buy them each a new pillow. He knew he would sleep better knowing it hadn't been sitting around for years and he was sure Kate felt the same way. The sheets she got were a solid, chocolate brown color, made from flannel material. He knew that they would do well to keep them warm at night.

The comforter she'd purchased was a semi-down, deep burgundy blanket that fit perfectly on their full-sized bed. He put the other pair of sheets she'd bought, which were cream colored; along with a lighter blanket, on top of the dresser. There were 4 drawers, the top two he'd designated to Beckett and he took the bottom for his own.

He took one last look at the now clean room, it had taken him nearly two hours, but it was well worth the peace of mind that they would have a clean place to rest. He looked over the ledge to find Beckett making lists and placing food into groups on the table. Noticing that it was getting later in the afternoon, he joined her.

Cleaning supplies in hand, he started cleaning the shelves that were in the kitchen, obviously designed to be used as cupboards for food storage. He knew that the sooner he got them clean, the sooner she could put the piles of food that were building up around her away.

"Some of this will have to go out into the woodshed" She spoke, filled with a sense of warmth over how easily they were falling into such domestic tasks.

"We can put away what there's room for here, and make a trip in the morning." He suggested. She looked up at him in surprise, but he simply motioned to his watch. She looked down to check her own in kind, and was surprised to find that it was already nearly 4pm.

"It is so strange," she began, "being reliant on daylight." He nodded in agreement.

"It's definitely going to take some getting used to." He said as he looked at some of the food items on the table. "Dried beef, dried chicken, dried eggs and ham? Really?" He questioned, clearly the most disturbed by the last item he'd read.

"They have a shelf life of 30 years. Add water and re-hydrate. We don't exactly have refrigeration Castle." He sighed at her response, so she offered him a bit of solace, "besides, we start hunting and this will just be backup."

He smiled at her attempt to cheer him up. Moving to the rest of the pile he continued his inventory, lots of dried food. She'd also supplied them with pasta, beans, rice, flour, salt and sugar. She'd even gotten them powdered milk. He was reading the back of the box when Beckett began to speak,

"When I was a little girl my best friend's parents only kept powdered milk. They said it lasted longer and it was cheaper. I was stunned to learn that you could mix powder and water and get milk, but it wasn't that bad." He looked at her and smiled. He loved when she opened up to him, even when the results were the most mundane stories. They were _her _mundane stories, so for Castle, it was like learning a precious secret.

She looked back down and continued to pull things out. Her face lit up when she produced several small packages. She held them up to Castle and showed him with glee. "Look Castle!" Her excitement was infectious,

"Wow Kate! What is it?" He spoke, earning a grin from her.

"It's dry yeast Rick, lots and lots of it. This is awesome." He smiled again, "why is dry yeast awesome?"

"Because we can make our own fresh bread Castle! My mother taught me how to make bread from scratch when I was a little girl and we used to do it all the time." She spoke with the excitement of a kid on Christmas. However, as the memories of she and her mother baking came, so did the sadness. In a quick attempt to swoop in and rescue her from that particular pain, he spoke, "Oh, Can you make breads with these dried berries?" She looked up at him and smiled.

"Yep. Apple bread, any berry bread, or cinnamon raison bread…that is if we've got cinnamon," his distraction did the trick.  
"Ooh Castle, I am going to teach you to bake bread from scratch!" Her face lit up and he couldn't do anything but consent to her.

"I'll be there, the ever-willing student."

They both smiled and continued their work,

"Hey!" Castle suddenly shouted, causing Beckett startle and drop the packets in her hands to the ground. Thankfully, they were sealed and she just scooped them back up before raising her head to Castle's level.

"Hey What?" she asked.

"I think we should go and use the outhouse, figure out where it is and how things work, so we are not blind at night if we need to go."

"Good point." She spoke before placing the yeast packets on the counter and heading out the front door. She waited for him to pass and then motioned with her hands, "Lead the way." He did, but he couldn't get past the desire to throw in a very Castle-like comment,

"Wow. You are letting me lead! Good job KB." She smiled, but yelled back to him "Oh, so it's KB now."

"Hey." He spoke in his defense, "I coined KB during the dedication of Heat Wave." She smiled and remembered. She'd been blown away by the sentiment. "Oh, I remember," she added, a grin across her face.

"So, who goes first KB, me or you?" She smiled even wider, she loved this shortened version of her name, just from him, nobody else called her that. She decided she'd let it stick.

"You go first Rick. Let me know it's safe for people." She grinned mischievously at him.

Soon he was out. "It's not pleasant, but it's not bad. It is deep and hasn't been used in awhile. I cleared away dust and webs, but it's open to the sun because there is no roof. I imagine that rain washes it and has kept it fairly clean. We need to remember to keep the lid closed so that rain water doesn't get in there though"

Kate took her turn as well, the bathroom was indeed four walls built around a large and deep hole, the toilet positioned over it. It would work, but they needed to remember to bring toilet paper with them, leaving it out would mean ruining it when it rained, unless they could find some sort of box to protect it.

She emerged from the bathroom, nodded at him and they walked together back to the house.  
"I think we need to keep what lighting we have in designated locations" Kate spoke.

"An oil lamp on each bedside table, the candle lanterns can go on the kitchen table." Rick added. He'd taken note of the cluster of light sources she'd created as she unpacked. They had two oil lamps, several candles and candelabras; along with a box of additional white candles for extra use. There were plenty of lighters as well.

"She also left us two wind up flashlights. I say we keep one upstairs and one downstairs." She furthered the conversation.

"We've also got plenty of batteries and an emergency battery operated/crank radio." She informed him.

"that's great." He spoke as they entered the cabin once again.

"It will be great to have access to the outside world. I wonder if we'll get any FM radio signal though." He spoke.

"I'm not sure. I know we'll have no trouble with am, but short wave stations I'm not sure about." Kate replied.

"Music would be nice if we could manage." Castle commented, earning a nod from Beckett in agreement.

* * *

They got back to putting the food that would fit on the kitchen shelves, a process that lasted a couple of hours. They'd also been given new pots and pans, silverware, cutlery, culinary utensils, and various other objects that needed to find homes in the fairly spacious kitchen.

Castle quickly identified the drawer that was designed for silverware, noting the plastic holder that had been placed in it. He took it out and began to wipe it down, following it with thorough cleaning of the other drawers.

After the dishes were put away, and Beckett placed the unpacked dried food on the shelves, they began to poke around a bit more. There were more shelves built into the corner of the kitchen, supported by a single wooden stake and propped between the adjoining walls and nailed securely in place. The objects were heavily coated in dust however, and they were running out of daylight.

She felt his hand squeeze her shoulder gently as he whispered, "save this for the morning Kate." She turned to him and nodded. They still had all of their clothing and toiletries to unpack before bed anyhow. He saw two medium-sized baskets on the dusty shelf that she was examining and grabbed them before they proceeded upstairs.

Kate took in their room, transformed by Rick's hard work. Without thinking she took his hands in her own and squeezed it, "Rick this looks amazing! Thank you!" He turned to look at her, surprised by her physical gesture. He smiled softly at her and spoke,

"Anything Kate." The sudden shift of their mood, the supportive friendship giving way to unbelievable tension overwhelmed her. As suddenly as she took his hand she dropped it, clearing her throat and moving to her bags.

Not completely surprised by her hot-to-cold behavior, he took it in stride and moved to the dresser. "I thought I would give you the top drawers and I would take the bottom." She nodded at him and replied,

"Thanks Castle."

He grabbed the baskets he grabbed from downstairs and, after wiping them down, handed her one. "For our toiletries," he explained. She accepted it gratefully. Afterall, they were going to need something to carry things to the outhouse and to the shower they'd yet to create.

They sorted through their only belongings, which had been purchased earlier that day. Kate had a package of panties, 5 bras, a package of socks, two pairs of jeans, 2 pairs of shorts, 2 button-up shirts that resembled the ones she wore so often to work, a pack of tank tops, 2 t-shirts, a sweater and a hoodie. She also covered her bases with a pair of durable boots, flip-flops and a pair of sneakers.

She placed the hair ties, brush, the family pack of bar soap, a double pack of razors, the deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste and floss, as well as the shampoo and conditioner she picked up in the basket Castle handed her. She left her sanitary products in a bag and slid them under her side of the bed.

Beckett couldn't possibly imagine needing more than all of these things, especially considering that they didn't plan to be here for longer than a month or two, tops. She looked over to Castle, who was placing his clothing in the two bottom drawers, as she had just done. She simply gazed at him, his back facing her.

There was no denying that she loved him, but she didn't know how to express it. She was terrified that the moment she said it, things would just fall apart. The rational part of her knew that the possibility of three words having such power was very small. However, the emotional part of her, the vulnerable part of her who had never muttered those words to another soul since before her mother was taken from her, prohibited the words from leaving her mouth.

If she couldn't say it to him in the heights of their passion she doubted if she would ever have the ability to. She sighed, a feeling of hopelessness settling in her chest. When she looked back up at him, allowing her thoughts and feelings to pass, he was smiling at her with wonder on his face.

"Where'd you go there Kate?" He questioned her, aware that she'd been completely lost in her thoughts.

She simply smiled at him, waving off his question by motioning out to the darkening sky.  
We should get ready for bed Castle. It's going to be a long day of cleaning tomorrow, and we've got to build a shower." She informed him.

"I also want to get a feeling for where we are, see what kind of cover we'll have in case we have unwelcome visitors." He nodded at her and took her attempt to change the subject.

They simply stared at eachother for a moment, the awkwardness of the situation settling in on them both. There was no bathroom for him to change in, there was no privacy from eachother here. Sure, she could force him to go downstairs to change, but it was nearly dark and it seemed unnecessary.

"Um," he spoke, unsure what to say but needing to break the tension. It seemed ridiculous that they were so nervous considering that they'd just had sex, and really good sex, the previous night. Still, they'd been caught up in the moment when they'd stripped and they moved about in the dark.

This was them, as they were; trying to live together and undressing in front of eachother seemed like such a big deal. He was nervous, and judging from the way her hands trembled, he'd venture a guess that she was too.

Kate broke their stare, "I'll just get my clothing and I'll change on this side of the room." Rick finished her sentence, "and I'll grab mine and change over there," he offered, pointing towards the stairs. He grabbed a t-shirt and boxers from his drawers and walked to the stairs. "I promise I won't turn around." He spoke, also alarmed over the absurdity of their situation_. Did we just revert back to the way things were?_ He wondered to himself, as he put the new boxers and shirt on.

He turned around when he heard Kate whisper "oh crap." He turned around to find her staring at the open drawer of the dresser.

"What's the matter Kate?" He inquired.

"I didn't think to buy pajamas. Of everything I did buy, I didn't bring anything to sleep in." She turned to look at him, "would you have a problem if I just slept in a tank top and underwear?" She asked him.

"You can sleep naked and I promise I won't care." She smiled broadly at him, glad for the familiar bantering, "I bet you wouldn't care" she retorted.

Castle lit both oil lamps as she stripped, placed a new tank top on and crawled into bed. Considering how old the mattress was, the bed was remarkably comfortable. She was glad for the pillow too. It was a stark contrast to Castle's King sized bed, where they could sleep without ever touching if they desired to do so. With this bed they didn't have much choice but to touch.

This was made especially so by the nature of the mattress, as it gave towards the middle and caused her to slide into his warmth. She soon found that she was thankful for him, as the temperature outside began to rapidly drop. By the time it was pitch dark, Castle couldn't take it anymore and got out of bed to close the window.

She missed his warmth immediately and yearned for him to slip back beneath the covers to warm her shivering body. _I should have bought sweat pants_, she thought to herself as he snuggled back under the blanket and wiggled his body to create warmth.

He turned to look at her and she smiled. "You ready to sleep?" He asked her. "yeah, it's been a long day and we didn't get much sleep last night." He looked at her in surprise, caught by the innuendo she'd spoken without intending to. When she caught onto his line of thinking, she blushed furiously.

Turning suddenly away from him she lifted herself from the bed slightly to put out her lamp. Soon he did the same and they were bathed in complete darkness. It was a dark that they were not accustomed to. There were no city lights, there were no noises or traffic. It was just them, the sounds of their breathing and the faint noises coming from the woods.

Although she'd been exhausted before she'd put out the lamp, now in the darkness, lying next to Castle, she was fully awake. She was aware of every breath that he took, could feel the rise and fall of his chest and the burning of his arm as it brushed against her skin in the bed. Her body reacted to him of it's own accord, longing to feel his touches again.

She became consumed with the need to feel him buried to the hilt inside of her and found it hard to breath. She shifted her body to face away from him, but it did little to alleviate the arousal that coursed through her body. In frustration, she shifted onto her back again a few minutes later. Every movement brought her attention right back to her drenched center, hyper aware of the slightest movements; which brought stimulation to her.

She finally let out a huff in frustration, unsure of how to control her body. She couldn't just leave the room. There was nowhere to go, she couldn't run from him and if she didn't do something soon she was going to explode. He must have sensed her frustration because she heard his whisper in the dark.

"Kate, what is it. What's wrong?" He asked with some concern.

She bit her lip for a moment, trying to figure out how to act. She knew she wasn't good with words, she was horrible. No, words were his thing. Action was hers. So action is what she chose. Instead of answering his question she searched in the dark for his hand.

Once she found it she placed hers on top, lacing their fingers and bringing his hand to follow hers. She placed it gently on her stomach, where instead of simply leaving it and letting herself take the comfort of his presence, she forced it to slide lower. She took her free hand and lifted her panties, allowing her to guide his fingers.

She couldn't tell him what was wrong. She couldn't communicate with words why she was so incredibly frustrated, but she could show him. She felt his breath hitch as she curved his fingers to cup her. He grasped her there, completely feeling the wetness that his presence had caused. He then acted of his own accord, sliding his hand further down and enveloping his fingers inside of her.

She let out a cry and bucked her hips into his hand. At the first sound of her voice, strangled and needing, he rolled himself on top of her. He removed his hand from her sweet spot, causing her to object, and pulled their tops off. He followed with his boxers and her panties.

She moved her hand to grab him, stroking to assure he was as ready as she was. Upon finding that he was, she pulled slightly harder in attempt to convey to him that she wanted him inside of her now. He pulled her hand from his body, placing it across from her other above her head, leaned his head down and circled his tongue around her nipple.

She wrapped her legs around his waist as she moaned his name desperately, pleading that he get her desperation. He took her verbal cue and finally buried himself within her. They were both beyond ready and needed very little time to adjust. As soon as he hit her end, he pulled out and thrust again; causing her hands to fly from the headboard and grasp his shoulders.

Their love-making was frantic, as it had been the night before, with both moaning and crying out each other's name. They continued for some time, as she built up her first orgasm until she couldn't hold on longer and fell apart beneath him.

He used her recovery time to turn her over, grasping her hips up and pulling her towards him as he entered her again, this time from behind. The new angle caused her to cry loudly, as he hit her sweet spot again and again. She collapsed onto her chest and grasped the headboard again, allowing his hands to support and lift her hips, as he continued to thrust himself within her.

Soon she was trembling again and fell apart for the second time, his name on her lips as if in prayer. When she could feel that he could no longer hold out, she turned her head and, nearly out of breath, cried "let go. I want to feel you let go." He finally did, unable to hold out another second, and collapsed on top of her.

When their breathing slowed he rolled off of her, landing on his back. "Beckett…Kate…that was…"

"Shhh"…she whispered to him. Placing a gentle kiss to his mouth she added, "sleep now."

She fell back onto her stomach and waited for his breathing to even out, indicating he'd fallen asleep.

As she lay in the night, she thought about the man beside her. She thought about how amazing they were together. How amazing he made her feel. _I may not be able to tell him how I feel, but I certainly can show him_, she thought to herself.

The last thought to cross Kate's mind before she drifted off was how long she would get away with simply showing her affections. She knew it wouldn't be long before Castle demanded more from her.

It was only a matter of time.

* * *

** I love that one of the reviewers said that they would like to see cabin cleaning time as I was writing some of the cleaning scenes. I thought "Yay!" someone will enjoy these scenes! Obviously there will be more-especially over the next chapter, as they've got a mess and nothing but time on their hands. What shall they do? ;) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again. I'm so sorry for the delay in updates. Life has been crazy and I'm trying to keep my head above water. Chapters 3 & 4 are within the same time frame, so I look to have 4 up within the next day or so. Thanks for your patience and I'll update as fast as I can. I really don't want to rush it :)**

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Rick Castle stretched his arms and legs, inadvertently shoving the bedding off of his warm body and exposing him to the cold morning air. He quickly pulled the covers back over himself and rolled onto his back, looking at the morning light streaming through the bare window above the bed.

Clearing his throat, he shifted to his side and noticed that the space beside him was bare. At some point Beckett had awoken and slipped out of bed. It didn't really surprise him because she typically rose well before him, and because she didn't strike him as the cuddling sort.

He sat up in bed and braced his bare feet for the floor, which he knew would be freezing. Although he'd gone to bed with socks on, they'd been kicked off at some point in the night. He searched around the bed for the remainder of his clothing, which was also absent from his body.

He remembered well loosing the rest of his clothing, which he removed in a passionate frenzy deep in the night with Kate. He rubbed the stubble on his chin and stretched his neck, taking one final breath before dashing out of the warm bed and venturing out into the cold room.

He quickly moved to the dresser, grabbing a pair of jeans and socks and sliding them on. After finding one of his t-shirts and a sweater, he tentatively made his way down the stairs. He found Beckett on her knees in the Kitchen, sorting through boxes that were left from the night before.

He noticed that beside her were more essentials that he was glad to see, including two pairs of towels, wash cloths and hand towels. He walked around her, stepping lightly over the piles she'd created and simply joined her on the floor.

"Good morning," he spoke.

"Good morning," she replied lightly, without looking up at him.

"Did you sleep well?" He pressed her, hoping beyond anything that this was not the beginnings of awkwardness between them.

She looked up at him then and smiled warmly, "I did. It was hard to get out of bed though. It was freezing." He nodded his agreement and she continued, "I'd love to get the fireplace cleaned out and the wood stove in working condition." He agreed with her again. Shifting attention to the piles in front of her, he commented on what he saw.

"Do you know how to garden Beckett?" He spoke while picking up a packet of strawberry seeds.

"Just what my mom taught me. She used to have a green thumb and would keep a garden in our back yard." She paused in thought, but quickly added, "I gave a glance of the books and saw several on gardening. We'll have to read up on it."

"Do you really think we're going to be here that long Beckett?"

"I certainly hope not, but planting some fruits and vegetables certainly wouldn't hurt." Came her reply.

He nodded and put the seeds back with the pile of packets he pulled it from. He also spotted a sewing kit, a first aid kit, piles of different types of ammunition, different types of soap, more candles, 3 ten gallon containers of paraffin oil, two large bottles of sunscreen, and a large bait and lure kit.

"She certainly covered our bases." He spoke while looking at what Jordan had brought for them.

"Yeah," Beckett replied, "and there are still a few bags that she picked up at the store that I haven't gotten to yet.

"Well, let me help." He spoke as he reached behind him and pulled one of the large bags toward him. He reached in and pulled out two large containers of coffee. His confusion was quickly eased when he looked back in the bag to find a French press. All they would need was boiling water and they would have coffee. She'd even gone as far as to buy them a large container of powdered creamer.

"Oh Beckett…" He spoke her name teasingly, waiting for her to look up at him as he held the French press up for her to see. She raised her head and her eyes lit up when she saw the device. Reaching over and grabbing it from him quickly, she smiled.

"I finally think it's going to be alright." She spoke dramatically, earning a chuckle from castle as he rolled his eyes at her addiction to the substance. Smiling warmly at eachother, they went back to the tasks of unpacking their supplies.

Beckett removed the next plastic box, removing cups, plates and bowls. More pots, pans and cookware was included as well. Additionally, she was relieved to find a set of sturdy knives. She'd be able to prepare anything they caught with the assortment that lay before her. She silently wondered how it was possible for Jordan to have complied so many things for her to use, but she was thankful for it all.

She reached the final box, where she pulled out a wall clock, several economy packs of batteries, a folded tarp, and what she could only assume were many, many yards of fabrics of various colors and designs. Along the bottom were spiral bound notebooks, a package of pencils and a sharpener. She noted that the notebooks were blank and set them out, figuring that Castle would appreciate having the writing materials.

She looked around her again, thankful for all Jordan had provided. Next she looked to Castle, who was staring into a bag that he had his hand in. He seemed to be intently concentrating on whatever it was he'd found, lost in thought.

"Castle?" He jerked his head up for a moment, looking like he had been caught doing something that he shouldn't have been doing. He swallowed but said nothing as he looked at her, hand still buried within the bag.

"Is there a problem Rick?" She asked him, completely confused with his hesitation to remove his hand from the bag.

"Ah. Um. Jordan did a really good job preparing us Beckett." He spoke.

"Yes she did. What's that got to do with what you don't want to pull out of that bag?" He shook his head, removing his hand and moving to fold the bag closed and push it to the side. "It's nothing." He spoke without making eye contact.

"The hell it's nothing", she reached for the bag and grabbed it before he could remove it from her reach and pulled out a large box, without even looking at it she spoke, "if we're going to be living together, we don't need to be embarrassed or ashamed of anything that….oh." She abruptly went quiet when she stopped to look at the economy box of condoms in her hands.

A momentary sweep of redness swept through her, but she quickly brushed it off, placing the condoms onto the floor between them and waiting for him to make eye contact with her. When he did she simply stared back, wearing a firm poker face,

"These will come in handy, don't you think Rick?" She shot at him, no malice in her voice whatsoever. She could have been talking about the weather with her tone of voice.

He simply nodded at her, allowing a warm smile of relief to cross his features. He had no problems with the condoms, but was afraid that discussing their nightly activities in the light of day might set her off. He was encouraged to learn that this was not the case.

As he continued to work through the bag in front of him, producing yet more dried foods, he couldn't help but shake one lingering question. Finally, when he was no longer able to keep it to himself, he voiced it.

"Hey Kate?" He asked, with clear apprehension in his voice.

"Hey what?" She replied, again not looking up at him.

"Well, it's just that. We've got this box of condoms," her head lifted as he captured her full attention, "and I couldn't help but notice that we didn't have them last night." He looked at the bag of corn kernels in his hand, "or the night before."

"What are you asking me Rick?" She questioned him, wanting just a little to make him squirm.

"Well, given that we didn't use protection. Is there any chance that we're trying to grow our own population up here in the woods?" She burst into laughter, unable to control herself anymore.

"Castle, do you know what the contraceptive ring is?" He nodded at her, as he'd seen the commercials.

"Well, I've got one. It has enough hormones for one month, and I'm two weeks into it. So those condoms aren't necessary for now, but I don't have birth control after this one comes out." She spoke coyly, tilting the box of condoms with her finger. He smiled at her, slightly relieved to know that they were safe, and intensely relieved to know that she still planned on having sex with him in two weeks.

With the awkwardness of the conversation behind them, he shifted to the final bag, which held camouflage gear complete with gloves for the both of them; enabling them to hunt in a variety of conditions, including rain and cold. There were also hats for the both of them, which would come in handy protecting them from the sun. Finally, he pulled out a large pair of rubber boots. Although unsure of their purpose, he set them down with the rest of the hunting gear he'd pulled from the bag.

Looking around the piles that had been unloaded by the both of them, he was drawn to a small shiny metal contraption resembling a Swiss army knife. Lifting it up, he simply turned to Beckett and said "I'm wolverine." She rolled her eyes at his antics and pulled the device from his hands.

"Keep your hands off the Leatherman, and for that matter, away from anything knife, tool or gun related for the time being." She told him sternly.

"Speaking of guns, what have we got?" He asked her.

"We've got a rifle, it came with the scope already attached but I'm not too optimistic; Yet another reason to not mess with the Leatherman Castle. I'm going to need to spend some time adjusting the scope and getting everything up to par before we start hunting." She informed him as she stood and lifted the first aid kit from the floor.

"We've also got a revolver, which will be yours and a glock, which will be mine." Although completely joking, Castle mumbled, "how come you get the glock?"

"Because it's the same as my old service weapon and I'm familiar with how it handles." She retorted to his teasing whine before adding, "I could always shoot two-handed, revolver in my left, glock in my right. You could make yourself a sling shot." She gave him a wicked grin and he simply glared at her.

She set the first-aid kit on the table for a moment and ran her hands through her hair, it was easy to see that she was positively overwhelmed by the mess around her. Castle stood and placed his hands on her shoulders, giving them a squeeze. "It's going to be alright, one thing at a time Kate."

He felt her inhale deeply and nod her head and reply, "You're right, but we should have started with cleaning. Now there's no place to put anything." He could tell that the stress in her voice went much deeper than just the cleaning.

"Kate." He whispered, "What is it?"

She shook her head, wiping her face with the back of her hand in what he could only assume was an attempt to rid her face of tears.

"Kate." He spoke again, this time making a bold decision to pull her back against him and wrap his arms around her shoulders and chest. "Kate, you're not alone. Please don't shut me out. Didn't you just say that we didn't need to be ashamed or embarrassed of anything?"

Finally, she spoke with a tremor in her voice. "I'm stuck out here, away from everyone and everything I've ever known and I have no idea how long it's going to be before I get my life back." He sighed behind her and offered her his best attempt at comfort.

"Yes, but I'm here too Kate. You're not alone." With his words she forced herself from his embrace and turned to face him.

"That's the worst part Rick. You gave up everything. Everything. You've got a daughter that needs you. You've got a career and a life, and now it's gone, and it's my fault Rick. How am I supposed to be ok with that?"

"You're supposed to be ok with that Kate, because it was my decision. I chose this. I chose you. You said you needed me and guess what. I need you too. I love you Kate, and you know that. I'm in this with you, wherever it leads us."

She looked down for a moment, an expression of resignation crossing her face. It was the last thing he wanted to see directly after telling her that he loved her, yet again. He didn't know what to think in the moment, and he was afraid to ask.

When Kate looked back up she saw the tortured expression on his face her heart broke. She moved into him again and wrapped her arms around his torso. After several seconds he returned the gesture and closed his arms around her as well. She inhaled the scent of him, placing a kiss on his neck.

"Thank you." She whispered. "You're right. I do need you. I need you more than you'll ever know."

He squeezed her tightly and placed a kiss on the top of her head, smiling to himself as he thought,

_Keep letting me in Kate Beckett, and you'll soon see that what you feel for me is so much more than need._

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**Ok, more to follow. :) **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello again. Here is chapter 4. I really enjoyed writing this one. Special thanks to fbobs for pointers concerning technical details. :)**

* * *

They spent the day cleaning and organizing, taking extra food out to the woodshed and cleaning the cabin thoroughly. The woodshed provided to be another great source of supply for them, with plenty of wood for burning, along with tools that hung along the walls.

They found another tarp, this one much older, and an old ragged tent. Finally, they found stacks of cardboard boxes, the contents of which were unknown to them. They didn't stay too long, as the dust in the small structure was overwhelming.

Beckett wasn't sure if the tent was any good, but she made a mental note to check it out, along with the boxes later. Castle made good use of his time indoors while Beckett made herself familiar with the lay of the land. He wasn't sure exactly what she was doing, but he assumed it had to do with the security of their premises.

His first plan of action was to clean the wood-burning stove. Taking rags to it, he cleared it of the dust on top, opening the oven to wipe the inside out as well. He was impressed with the condition of the unit, and supposed it had not been used that often, or was left in clean condition whenever it was last used.

Opening the hatch for the wood, he was met with a bit of soot, which he cleaned out as quickly as possible. By the time the unit was in acceptable condition, he noted that the sun was high in the sky. It certainly explained the rumbling in his stomach, as he couldn't remember the last time he had eaten.

He made his way quickly back to the wood shed, grabbing various sizes of wood, and stopping for twigs on the way back. They'd found a stack of old newspapers in the corner of the kitchen which could be used for tinder. He figured that the purpose of the papers was just for that, but moved the stack into a corner of the living room to create more space in the smaller kitchen.

Searching through the various freeze-dried foods Kate had placed on the shelves, he located a package that would be their lunch, and along with a pot and mixing spoon, prepared the oven for use.

After lighting the tinder with one of the many lighters Jordan provided, he gradually built the fire, increasing the sizes of the sticks from small to large as the fire increased in intensity. Soon he was ready to cook, which he did successfully.

As he moved himself about the kitchen he heard gunshots coming from outside. Startled, he ran for the front window of the cabin, terrified for Beckett's safety. When he spotted her he let out a sigh of relief, as she simply had the gun hoisted on top of a tree-trunk and balanced, sitting on a folded up tarp for stability.

He watched her as she made adjustments to the scope and then fired another shot into the distance, seemingly aiming for a post about 100 yards in the distance. She stopped to adjust the scope once again before firing a third time. Finally seeming satisfied, she made her way back to the cabin.

He returned to the kitchen to stir the hot chicken and rice he was preparing for them, and was dishing their food out when she entered.

"The guns are in good shape, I think we should keep this one down here, and the hand guns in their holsters with us as much as possible; and God it smells good in here." She spoke with a grateful smile when she saw that he'd taken care enough to cook. They both sat at the newly cleaned table and ate in silence, commenting only on their meal.

"You know, I thought freeze-dried would taste much worse." Castle spoke first.

"Yeah." Beckett agreed before adding, "and this beats the hell out of city water any day of the week." She said as she lifted her cup and took another sip of the well water he'd poured them from their tap. They were roughing it in a lot of ways, but would be eternally grateful for their single source of running water, which had been routed from the well to the kitchen tap.

"I was thinking," Kate began, "That this afternoon I would focus on getting us a shower rigged. I know that there is the old structure, but it's out in the open, and I'd like to have something a little closer to the house." Castle nodded at her.

"I can take care of getting the fireplace clean and then join you if you need help," he offered.

She smiled at him and thanked him for lunch, leaving him to clean up as she returned outside.

* * *

About two hours later the fireplace was deemed adequate by Castle. He'd done his best to clean it out, sweeping out cobwebs, clearing out soot and removing old, burned logs that were no longer usable. He'd brought extra logs in earlier, planning to have a stash indoors for when they needed warmth. If there was one thing that Castle was familiar with, it was fire safety, and the importance of keeping things clean to prevent house fires.

Once he was finished, he quickly returned to the kitchen sink where he used a washcloth to wipe his hands, arms and face off; clearing the soot from his body as best as possible. _God what I wouldn't give for a shower_, he thought to himself. _Speaking of showers_, he mused as he moved to the back window, seeking out Kate and finding her hard at work.

He took a brief moment to admire her, wearing jeans and a spaghetti strapped tank top. It had warmed considerably and she was working in the direct sunlight. Her hair, which was twisted into a messy bun, was a mess and she was covered in sweat. He thought she was the sexiest creature he'd ever seen. He also worried about her working alone in the sun.

He reached for a cup of water and one of the large bottles of sunscreen before making his way out the front of the cabin and around to the back where she was hard at work. He set the cup of water on a large tree stump near her and quietly approached.

He knew she sensed his presence when she stopped working and turned her head slightly to the side, although she did not face him. He took the sunscreen and poured it onto his hand, spreading it onto both palms as he came behind her to rest his hands on her warm shoulders.

He felt her inhale sharply as he rubbed the lotion into her shoulders and down her arms. He poured more onto his hands and massaged the back of her neck and her upper back. Stepping even closer into her space, he reached his hands around her and softly applied the sunscreen to her shoulder blades and her chest. She finally let out a breath when he dared to lean into her and kiss the side of her neck, just below her right ear.

He lifted his head slowly to whisper in her ear, "we have to get your face, you've been in the sun too long." She shuttered and with closed eyes she turned her head towards his voice, bringing her cheek in line with his lips. He placed a kiss on the corner of her lips and handed her the bottle, allowing her to apply the rest of the sunscreen herself.

As quickly as he'd approached, he stepped back "so what can I do to help?" he asked nonchalantly, seemingly unaware of how much his stunt had affected his partner.

"Um…" She tried to collect her thoughts, completely forgetting the task at hand momentarily. "I secured the frame against the cabin." She spoke, a slight shake in her voice at first before finally getting a grip over her emotions. "They're secured pretty well, and there are plenty of nails left over-plus more in the shed. I think we're ready to attach the tarp." He nodded to her and took in her handy work.

She'd done a great job knocking down the old frame and re-assembling the beams to secure against the back of the cabin and support the structure. They would easily be able to attach the solar bag, which carried 10 gallons of water and was reusable, by hanging it from the top of the newly assembled and fortified frame. All that was left was nailing the tarp to three sides, and attaching a piece of it to the top of the fourth, which they would use as a make-shift shower door.

Before they set out to work, Castle pointed out to Beckett that he'd brought her water, which she gratefully drank. He watched her shake his actions off, attempting to pretend that they didn't affect her and silently thought to himself,

_Oh yeah, you so love me._

* * *

Since she had done most of the work, he allowed her to have the first shower. She didn't care that the water was not warm; her desperation to feel clean after a day in the sun outweighed her comfort level. She grabbed one of the towels and a washcloth, along with some soap, a razor and shampoo and cleaned herself happily.

Castle waited in his boxer shorts, remaining inside the cabin until she was finished. He used his time to finish cleaning. He'd cleaned the floors thoroughly, but cursed to himself several times, as he managed to stub his toe on the same spot in the living room three times. He glared at the slight rise in the side of the carpet, making a mental note to avoid it, no matter how futile the attempt would be. He was wiping the living room window clean when she returned, wearing only a towel.

"It's all yours." She spoke. "It's cold, but it's wonderful."

He turned around and dropped his rag, taking in the appearance of her dripping wet body, clad only in a towel. Pushing aside the urge to skip the shower and take her to bed, he nodded politely as he swept by her. The tension between them was tangible, as the energy of their mutual attraction threatened to overtake them.

She simply let him pass, holding her breath as he brushed her shoulder while passing. She stood, frozen in place as he reached to the top of the loveseat behind her and grabbed his own towel, making his way outside.

Once he was gone she let out her breath, thinking again of his hands on her earlier that afternoon, of his body on hers in the darkness the night before. As she made her way up the stairs she doubted her ability to survive in the middle of nowhere in such close proximity to him.

She quickly dried off and dressed, taking it upon herself to prepare them dinner, as he had done with lunch. The stove remained lit, which eased her duties quite a bit. She simply closed the vent that allowed the heat to escape and raised the temperature of the oven once again. Grabbing the remainder of the chicken and rice, she heated it for them.

Castle dried himself outside, placing his boxer shorts back on before he re-entered their newly cleaned home. After he re-filled the solar bag and placed it back over the showering structure, they spent dinner discussing plans for the next day. Now that they had a shower set up, there were a few more essentials that they needed to square away as soon as possible.

"I want to secure ourselves Castle." She spoke as they ate. "I'm going to scope out some good trees for us to climb and shoot from, giving us an advantage if we're attacked."

"I'm also going to check out that tent and if it's any good, I'm going to find somewhere out in the woods to put it, along with some supplies. Just in case we need to get away."

He nodded as she continued to speak, "I also want to figure out a way to warn ourselves should anyone approach, but I'm not sure how yet." She looked to him for ideas, but he had none so they continued to talk.

"We need to wander to the springs. Jordan said there was a stream to follow a bit that would lead us to some prime fishing locations." He nodded again before adding,

"and sooner or later we're going to figure out a laundry system." She agreed with him.

It was early evening when Kate made her way to the living room to have another look at the books. As she walked she turned back to Castle, "Thanks for taking care of the stove and the fireplace." She spoke with a smile.

"No problem," he answered. "As long as we keep them clean and maintained we can use them for heat devices and I'm a fan of being warm." No sooner than the words had come out of his mouth, Beckett tripped and stubbed her toe on the carpet.

"son of a bitch!" She yelled.

"I know, right!" He exclaimed, "I did that three times! In the same place too." He informed her.

"What's under there?" She asked, looking down at the slight, nearly imperceptible raise in the corner of the carpeting.

"I'm not sure." Castle answered her as he moved beside her.

She knelt down and he did the same, attempting to peel back the carpet and look. She pulled at the carpet, but it wouldn't budge. Castle did the same, further down, and had no problem. He was able to fold it back slightly, but it seemed caught, or fastened to the floor where Beckett was.

She tried to pull again, but had no luck. Out of frustration she slammed her hand down, it landing with a thud. Her head shot up at castle, eyes round as she did it again. "Castle," She spoke in somewhat of a whisper, "do you hear that?"

He looked at her with some confusion before moving himself next to her and slamming his larger fist onto the floor. He looked up to her in surprise by the hollow sound that was produced. "It's hollow!" He spoke in shock.

Beckett excitedly nodded, "there's something down there Castle! Help me get this up." They both moved and grasped at the spot where the carpet met the floor. After several attempts, the groaning pair began to make progress. They could feel the trap door beginning to budge, after years of abandonment.

Finally, the partners managed to open the large door, which flipped back, bending an entire half of the carpet back with it.

"Why was it necessary to nail it to the corner of the carpet?" Beckett spoke in frustration as she stood to look at the dusty staircase that led into complete darkness. Castle, whose brain was already at work spinning wild theories, offered an excited response.

"It's a secret layer Kate! It's nailed to the carpet so that when you close the door, the carpet goes back down and nobody knows it's there! It's brilliant! Let's go!" He spoke as he made a move to the steps.

She shot her hand to his chest, "Wait a minute _Indiana_. We need light and we don't even know what's down there. It could be anything!"

"I know! He balled his fists in excitement. Isn't it awesome?" He made a mad dash up the stairs and grabbed the lanterns by their beds. When he returned her he grabbed the lighter by the stove and lit them.

"Let's go!" He spoke. She hesitated, but gave in; first grabbing her glock and his revolver. When she handed him the gun he grinned widely. "Best day ever!" He whispered to himself as he followed her into the darkness.

* * *

Castle and Beckett found themselves in a small room, covered in dust and long-since abandoned. She walked to the left and he to the right, taking their lanterns closer to the sides of the hollowed out room.

There were shelves built into the walls, stocked with food and water. Against the corner of the far wall was a single dirty mattress laying on the floor. The whole room gave Beckett the creeps.

"It looks like this was some sort of shelter Castle." She spoke. "There's enough food down here to last for years!"

"Hey Beckett!" Castle called to her, lifting an old, thin yellow booklet his hands, "take a look at this."

She came beside him and looked down at the article he held, "Fallout Protection What to Know and Do About Nuclear Attack." She looked around the small room again as Castle commented, "copyright 1961."

"We're in a nuclear fallout shelter." Beckett spoke aloud, the supplies and the mattress making sense.

"How old is this cabin?" Beckett asked herself outloud.

"I'm not sure, but the newspapers I used earlier to light the stove were from October of 1974." Castle spoke.

"An isolated cabin in the middle of the woods." She thought out loud, "This place was probably built for protection during the Cold War."

Castle continued to look around, taking mental inventory of the items in the shelter when he came to the back wall. There, in front of him, was a door. "Beckett!" He whispered urgently to her, "come here!"

She moved beside him, seeing his reason for calling her. "Open it Castle, I'll cover you." She stepped back, pulling her gun from it's holster as if someone would actually be there. He rolled his eyes at her and she offered him a glare in return, but he did as she requested.

The door led into a walkway, somewhat reminiscent of the underground tunnels they'd explored when they discovered the age-old liquor many cases ago. "What do you think this is?" He asked her as they walked, noting that the ceiling got slightly narrower the further they moved from the shelter.

"I'm not sure." She whispered, but I'm curious to see if it leads us out, hopefully into the woods.

He looked at her in confusion, but said nothing. They walked in silence, careful of the rocky earth beneath them and very much aware of the scurrying around their feet. Soon Beckett could swear she was hearing noises. The further they walked the closer it sounded, she could definitely hear the distinct noise of chirping.

Soon there was a soft light and a rush of air, as they exited the tunnel and found themselves standing at the edge of the forest and along the springs. She turned around and saw their cabin, and turned back and saw the tunnel, which looked like nothing more than a cave, partially hidden in underbrush from the outside.

"Castle this is perfect!" She exclaimed, grabbing both of his arms and spinning him to face her.

"Perfect for what?" He asked, unable to contain a smile in light of her excitement.

"For security, for escape, for cover, for tactical advantage, for all of it. It gives us a safe exit and a chance to move on them without anyone being the wiser Castle!"

"Kate," he began, "do you really think they're going to find us out here?" He looked deeply into her eyes, trying to gauge her fears where these men were concerned.

"I wouldn't put it past them Castle, and we're going to need all the help we can get." He pulled her into a hug, reassuring her "Kate. I think we're safe and I have total faith in your ability to take anyone who crosses you."

She pulled back suddenly, "Castle you weren't there. You weren't on that roof. You didn't see how quickly he was able to just…just completely overpower me. You don't understand Rick." She grasped his arms and tried to make him understand.

"I understand more than you think I do Kate." He started, "I understand that you were scared on that roof. I understand that you wanted me there and I wasn't." He swallowed back his tears and continued, "I understand you almost died Kate, but you're safe now."

"If you had been there he would have killed you." She reassured him, "I'm glad you weren't." He simply stared at her for a moment before moving his hand to her chin and tilting her head, bringing their lips together.

They stood that way for quite a while, locked in a passionate embrace in the moonlight. When they finally parted she rested her head on his chest, listening to his rapidly beating heart. "Why are you so good to me Castle?" She mused out loud.

He gently pushed her back so he could look at her, gazing at her with an intensity that overwhelmed her senses. "You know why Kate."

She stared at him a moment, once again unable to find words. Wrapping her arms around his neck she pulled him back in for a kiss and felt his hands grasp the back of her top. As the kiss ignited their passion once again, they both sank to their knees on the banks of the springs. When they separated he looked at her, waiting for her to make the next move in the darkness. Without a word she lifted his shirt from his body, removing her own next. The chill of the air sent a shiver through their bodies as she pushed his chest forward, causing him to lean back onto the ground.

She continued to kiss him as she straddled him under the stars, running her fingers through his hair as she demanded entrance into his mouth with her tongue. Becoming more desperate, she ground herself into him, "touch me Castle." She whispered against his lips. He took little time to oblige her as he unbuttoned her jeans and pushed them over her hips. She quickly sat up and rolled off of him, finishing the removal of her jeans and panties. In her distraction at removing her own attire, she did not notice that he'd done the same.

Her body was shocked by the contrast between the coldness of the dirt beneath her and the warmth of his body above her as he moved to pin her to the ground. He chased the chill from her skin with every brush of his hand and every kiss of his lips. As he trailed down her neck and across her chest, taking the time to taste both of her nipples and brush kisses along the scar over her heart, she stared up at the night sky.

As he made his way lower, swirling is tongue around her belly button before nudging her center and placing open mouthed kisses inside of her, she desperately attempted to name the constellations as a method of distraction. As the tension began to coil within her it became impossible to ignore the sensations he caused within her. She covered her mouth with one hand and grasped his hair with the other in attempt to conceal her scream as she fell apart under his touch.

The soft breeze of the night air soon mixed with the sweat on her chest as she came down from her climax, creating a chill within her that she couldn't shake off. Sensing her discomfort, he pulled himself back on top of her completely, attempting to envelope her with his body and keep her warm. She relished in the comfort of his skin against hers, at the feel of his erection pressed firmly against her abdomen, as she snaked her arm between them and brought him to her entrance.

They sighed together when he was finally inside of her, moving slowly as he inhaled the scent of _them. _They easily found their rhythm, as they always did, but kept a slow languid pace. As he moved within her she moaned deeply, unable to stop herself from expressing the emotions he caused within her. With a sigh she whispered, "God Castle yes. Perfect. We're so perfect." She ran her fingers down his back as he rocked into her more quickly, more deeply. She continued to breathlessly whisper into his ear, "yes, right there. that's it. Oh I love that. I love it so much Castle."

She bit his ear lightly and he sped up, unable to continue with their leisurely pace. Soon her words became incoherent and she was reduced to cries in the night as they finally fell apart together.

* * *

That night when they crawled into bed they made no pretenses to be apart, as each was too exhausted from their long day to try. They simply fell into each other's arms and faded into a blissful slumber.

Unlike the previous day, when Castle awakened the next morning he found her right beside him, sleeping peacefully on his chest with her hair sprawled out and a contented smile on her face.

* * *

**A/N: I'm trying to balance the fact that they seem to be going at it like bunnies with the fact that it's a new relationship, and that's what happens in new relationships. Forgive me as I lend credibility to the story. ;) I'm also not ignoring the giant "I love you" white elephant in the room. I have a very specific scene in mind and the story is building in that direction. I hope you all enjoy the ride. **


	5. Chapter 5

As the weeks went by, Castle and Beckett grew accustomed to being alone in the woods together. Things were easier with a functioning shower and soon Castle managed to rig a workable laundry system. He found an old metal container that almost resembled a trough, save for the smaller size. It occurred to him that it wouldn't make a bad bath tub if they ever felt inclined to heat enough water to fill it.

Knowing Beckett and her love of baths, he wouldn't have put it past her. She never did try to convert the tub though, content on using it for keeping their cloths clean. Shaw had foresight enough to purchase detergent for them, which they were grateful for; especially after long, hot days of labor in the sun.

There were indeed many long, hot days of labor too. Roughing it wasn't just a figure of speech, they'd soon learned. Life was actually quite rough. Existence without technology, quick access meals, entertainment and creature comforts proved to be hard and grating on the pair.

On more than one occasion they would find themselves picking fights or snapping at eachother out of frustration, and the lack of other people around to distract them. At times the solitude was maddening, and no matter how committed they felt to eachother they felt the need to be apart from time to time.

Kate was homesick. She missed Lanie and girl-talk. She missed her scented candles, her bedroom slippers and her book collection. She missed being able to lose herself in reruns of Temptation lane or silly movies on TV. Kate also missed chocolate and cheesecake. She missed cappuccinos and her sugar free vanilla lattes. She longed for the sounds of the city and it drove her so crazy at times that she wanted to pull her hair out.

She distracted herself as much as possible, focusing on tasks that needed to be completed in order for them to survive. Kate made several trips down to the old fallout shelter, taking inventory of the old food, most of which had passed its 30 year shelf-life. Although the mattress was quite uncomfortable, and very dirty, she was able to find a decent sleeping bag in the corner of the small room.

The tent she discovered in the woodshed was beyond use, having been subject to years of neglect and what appeared to be damage caused by wildlife. However, the additional food in the woodshed was good and she took advantage of it, which was placed along with the sleeping bag at the entrance of the tunnel next to the springs.

She explored the boxes, discovering mostly useless items, such as old photo albums, out-dated sunscreens and lotions, and porcelain figurines. However, there were a few treasures amongst the rubbish, namely a mirror for their cabin, as well as piece of fire steel, a tool sharpener, a quilt and a pair of binoculars for her emergency pile.

Beckett also found several boxes of abandoned clothing, which she carried back to the cabin for them to sort through. She didn't tell Castle that she was stockpiling emergency supplies for her, as he seemed to worry about her emotional well-being when she discussed the possibility of an attack. It wasn't that he thought she was wrong, but the conversation would always lead them to uncomfortable places that she would rather avoid.

The clothing wasn't really their style, but a lot of the men's clothing fit Castle fairly well and the women's outfits fit Kate perfectly. Most importantly, if offered them more options for the heat of the summer, as their jeans were becoming too cumbersome and their options were limited.

Some of her least favorite, more feminine items of clothing were stashed away in the stock pile before Castle got a good look at them. She knew better than to throw away good clothing, but didn't see the usefulness in cotton sun dresses or tube tops, especially considering the physical demand of their daily routine. She stashed away some shorts and t-shirts for him as well, finally adding the second fishing pole Jordan provided and extra ammo. Soon she was satisfied with her precautions.

* * *

Early in their stay they became fairly set in their division of labor. She'd attempted to take Castle hunting, leading them quietly into the forest and teaching him how to handle the rifle. She'd instructed him to only aim for game that was within 100 or 200 yards, explaining that anything further away ran the risk of not being killed, but just injured. Not only would it increase the likelihood that their dinner would get away, but it wouldn't be humane to maim an animal but not kill it.

He handled the gun fairly well, but wandered through the forest with a clumsy loudness that was nearly impressive in its ability to evacuate the area of all living things. On several occasions she would sternly whisper, "Castle! You don't need to let them know that we're coming. That's sort of not the point of this."

On another occasion she simply scolded him when, upon seeing a deer he simply turned to her and said, "Do you see that!" They returned to the cabin late that afternoon with nothing, Kate determined to orient him to fishing instead.

The next day she did so. They walked to the springs together and followed a small stream down a ways until it widened again. She assumed that it was the area Jordan had been speaking of and taught him how to properly cast, using the bait that had been provided for them. He actually did quite well when movement wasn't required of him.

In fact, the pride in him was tangible when he caught not one, but two trout, providing them their first kill. For Castle, fishing was the easy part. Preparing the fish for dinner was another story. He watched Beckett as she, guided by one of the books from the cabin shelf, slit the fish along the bottom with a knife, from tail nearly to mouth.

He made unpleasant noises and commented on how disgusting it was as he watched her remove the head and tail, before peeling the skin back and placing it in a pan to cook. Little did he know that she had done this with the plan of forcing him to skin the second one on his own.

She stood next to him and directed his actions, informing him that for as disgusting as he thought this was, it would be much worse when she successfully hunted for them. He grimaced but quieted, preparing the fish as she had done so and adding it to the pan. Neither complained that night as they ate fresh meat for the first time in weeks.

* * *

They fell into a rotation, he would fish one day and she would hunt the next. They would rely on freeze-dried food on days when neither had luck bringing home dinner. Castle had also located a book on gardening, using it to plant and care for the seeds that had been provided for them. He was especially excited for the everbearing strawberries, which were planted just in time to give them crops later in the summer, should they still be there. The tension between them didn't ease, although they worked well to survive together.

_I shouldn't be surprised_, she reflected to herself, on one particularly silent evening, _things were tense when we were just partners and we worked wonderfully together. _It seemed like ages ago, when they were simply Castle and Beckett, partners in crime. Now what were they?

Were they in a relationship? It certainly was unlike any relationship she'd ever been in, or ever heard of for that matter. Were they roommates? Depending on eachother for survival, and hot sex when the tension got to be too much? It seemed more and more like the latter was true lately, only the sex, while hot, was dying down as they found themselves drained at the end of the day. They were too frustrated; stricken with cabin-fever,_ literally_, and too tired even to try to communicate.

When they did have sex, they found that little was said, as one would seek the other out to work through whatever frustration or fear they were trying, and failing to cope with. On one occasion she'd stripped and joined him while he showered, making her desires known as she immediately began stroking him. Grateful that one piece of tarp was nailed to the side of the cabin, she pulled him against her and jumped, wrapping her legs around his waist and urging him to move harder and faster as she bit into his shoulder and screamed out against him beneath the naturally warmed water in the sunlight. On another occasion, he'd come through the door, tense after a long and unproductive day outside, dropping the empty fishing poles against the wall and grabbing her from where she stood in the kitchen.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body against his, bringing her back flush against his chest. She could feel what he needed as soon as he pressed against her, tilting her head back to offer her neck to his lips. She'd been wearing an old tank top and a long skirt that hung low on her hips. It had been an item from the box and she reserved her other clothing for her days in the woods.

They'd become comfortable enough with eachother that she didn't bother with a bra or panties on her off-hunting days, keeping the limited supply she had clean for when she needed them. He knew this as he pulled her skirt up, pushing her against the couch and unbuttoning his pants. It was quick and needy, passion erupting from the both of them as he felt for her readiness, pushed himself inside of her and snaked his arm around her front to stimulate where she needed most. With loud cries from the pair of them, their movements died down as quickly as they started.

It bothered him greatly that they'd come to such a place, after only 5 weeks together. However, she didn't seem to be open to offering much else in the way of emotions and they both needed to take advantage of one of the only forms of release they could find in the middle of nowhere.

For her part, Kate felt sick after their brief encounters. It wasn't because she felt cheap or used. On the contrary, she felt like she'd reduced him to a place where he'd ask for nothing more of their relationship. She'd been unable to give more and he'd been afraid to ask for it. She never fought with herself more than she did after their heated, but brief sexual encounters.

She would go back to what she was doing, as would he, but she would rehearse, again and again in her own head. She would find a way to make things better. She would find the words to tell him and to show him that he was more to her than just sex. He was more than someone she wanted or needed; he was her everything and she would desperately try to unlock the secrets in her mind and heart that would enable her to express it.

A simple "I love you" was far short of it. She was afraid that if she used the words, before she could attach the proper emotion or the proper mindset that needed to accompany it, that they would fall flat. They would be hollow and it wouldn't be enough.

When he told her he loved her it came someplace from deep within his soul. It came from someplace that she just couldn't seem to access within herself and she couldn't figure out how to open herself to it. So she waited, she bided her time and she rehearsed, desperate to conjure the thoughts and feelings she would need to convince him that he was it for her; he was it for the rest of her life.

* * *

On a warm Sunday afternoon they both decided to stay in, taking the day to rest. In attempt to brighten both of their moods, Castle pulled out the radio that they were provided and cranked it for about 90 seconds. Although they found no FM stations, they did find signal to an AM radio show.

To their delight, the show featured a regular Sunday theme, Beatles radio. Letting the tension ease and their laughter bubble up for the first time in weeks, they danced around the kitchen together. He twirled her and dipped her as they made themselves act silly while singing along,

_She loves you yeah, yeah, yeah_

They continued to sing, laughing at eachother as they sang "Twist and Shout" into their kitchen utensils.

Beckett made several old man cracks, such as "Isn't that in like two years Rick?" when Castle started singing,

"_Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm 64?" _

He rolled his eyes at her, but laughed. They were both delighted to have reason to laugh together, and couldn't remember the last time they had really done so. Their laughter died down and they simply smiled at one another contentedly when the next song came on the radio. Hearing the familiar melody, Castle moved toward her and reached for her hand.

She took it and allowed him to pull her closer, wrapping one arm around his neck and taking his other hand in her own. Their fingers laced together and his arm wrapped around her waist as they slowly moved about the cabin, the lightness of the earlier mood shifting completely as they listened to the words.

"_Something in the way she moves, attracts me like no other lover. _

_Something in the way she woos me. I don't want to leave her now. _

_You know I believe and how. _

_Something in her smile she knows, that I don't need another lover. _

_Something in her style that shows me. I don't want to leave her now. _

_You know I believe and how. _

As they continued to move, Castle looked into her eyes tenderly; communicating his love to her, showing her that nothing had changed. In that moment he willed her to know that he was still in this all with her, always.

Anticipating the next lyrics of the song, Beckett lightly brushed the hairs on the back of his neck; tenderly caressing his fingers with her own and refusing to lose eye contact as the words of the third verse began to sound.

_You're asking me will my love grow, I don't know. I don't know. _

_Stick around now it may show, but I don't know. I don't know. _

But Kate did know. She was surer of it than she'd been of anything in her life. In a desperate attempt to communicate her knowledge, she moved her hand from the back of his neck to caress his face. Finally bringing herself closer, she kissed him softly and tenderly, brushing her nose against his as her eyes slipped closed and she smiled softly against his lips.

_Something in the way she knows, and all I have to do is think of her. _

_Something in the things she shows me. _

_I don't want to leave her now. You know I believe and how. _

As the instrumentals softly played the song out, they stood still; and in that moment, in that embrace, both were reminded of the love that brought them together in the first place; her decision to choose him over all else and his decision to follow her to the ends of the earth.

* * *

**Awwwweeee. That last scene got to me. I had to go and play the song. Good thing I had Abbey Road downloaded to my itunes ;) **

**I don't own the Beatles, but I wish I did…even more than I wish I owned Castle…I'm just sayin' **

**On a serous note, the next chapter is big relationship-wise. It may take a while because I want to get it right and this week is going to endlessly busy. I will do my best though. Thanks and review, they make my day :) **


	6. Chapter 6

**Remember science class? For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction? Issac Newton...**

** I think the same could be argued for the angst/fluff balance. I didn't invent it folks...that's just Gravity... :) **

* * *

The silence was deafening. She'd been avoiding him for days and it was really getting to him. How it was possible to try to avoid someone living in such close proximity was beyond him, but she sure tried it. They'd been doing so well too, he somberly thought to himself.

Their tension over the past weeks had eased considerably after their impromptu dance session in the kitchen more than a week before, but within 48 hours she'd gone cold. She would only talk when she needed to, communicating essential information to him.

She wasn't angry at all, and that was unnerving. Castle could handle an angry Beckett. He was familiar with the mannerisms of an angry Beckett and knew how to play it safe in her presence. He'd had years of practice afterall. No, this Kate wasn't angry at all. She was reserved and if he didn't know better, he'd swear she'd seemed somewhat _afraid_ around him. It simply didn't make sense.

On several occasions he'd approached her, asking what was wrong as he tried to get to the root of whatever problem she was struggling with. She remained tight-lipped though and denied that there was anything wrong with her, often blaming her sullen mood on stress or exhaustion.

They went about their daily routines for nearly 5 days, Castle feeling the need to walk on egg shells and Beckett caught up in her own little universe, a place where Rick was clearly not welcome anymore. He tried to pretend that it didn't bother him. He wanted to convince her, and himself, that he was fine with whatever space she evidently needed from him. On both fronts he failed miserably.

Beckett, for her part in the matter, was completely lost in her thoughts. Whatever she'd expected their relationship to look like, their current situation was far from it. She'd vowed that she'd work on herself, that she would bring herself to a place where she could give Castle the intimacy that they both desired.

A week and a half ago she would have claimed she was getting closer, easing herself into becoming familiar with the emotions that came with being _in love_ with Richard Castle, and not being in denial about it. On the Monday after their dancing session everything changed.

They sat in a comfortable silence that morning, he taking time to write in one of the many journals that Shaw had left them and she developing a calendar to help them keep track of the passage of time while they were in their isolated home. She'd been marking the days, but wanted something a little more formal and a little more detailed.

As she marked the days that had passed, crossing from May into June and inching towards July, Kate became aware for the first time that something was not right. It had been over three weeks since she'd removed her contraceptive ring and she still hadn't started her period. Panic filled her as she tried to calculate the days.

It was normal to go a few days without starting, and on occasion she'd go longer, especially when life was stressful. So at first she'd not been concerned, then life at the cabin simply took over and her work to survive distracted her from keeping track of her biological rhythms. However, as Kate stared at the calendar she was filled with terror.

Three weeks was too long, even after adjusting to the massive hormonal changes that she knew would accompany her coming off of birth control. She cursed their situation and her lack of ability to control this aspect of her life. For the next several days Kate became hyper-aware of her body, trying to detect changes within it that might indicate pregnancy.

Luckily, her torture only lasted a few days, as the following Thursday Kate discovered that she'd started to bleed again, her body evidently adjusting to the hormonal, nutritional and physical changes that her new living arrangements had put her through. Although she was beyond relieved, she still berated herself for having been sloppy.

On more than one occasion, especially when they abruptly had sex, contraception was forgotten. The last thing they could afford, in her opinion, was to get pregnant. Although she vowed to be more careful, she still struggled with the reality of their carelessness through her cycle.

She knew that she was being distant, but wasn't sure how to broach the subject with Castle. At first she avoided the topic because she didn't want him to panic him, as she was. However, when her period finally did come, she didn't really see the point in bringing him in on it. Afterall, she clearly was not pregnant and things had worked out for the best.

One afternoon, after Kate had finished her cycle, she realized the error in her judgment. Although she didn't feel the need to go into great detail, part of being in a relationship with Castle, she reasoned, meant that she should open up to him and express herself. It was one of the steps she wanted to take towards growing their emotional intimacy and she owed it to him.

Her guilt over keeping him in the dark finally got the better of her after lunch and she decided to tell him everything, making light of the situation.

"Listen Castle, I'm sorry that I've been so distant, but I've been working through some stuff." She began.

He nodded to her but said nothing, waiting for her to continue. Taking his cue, she did.

"It's kind of funny actually." She began. "I realized last week that I never started my period and I completely freaked out." She didn't give him time to respond, instead launching into a more detailed explanation.

"I mean, for a while there I thought that maybe I was pregnant and even after I started, and knew that it was ok, I was still genuinely angry with myself for having been so careless and stupid." He looked mildly hurt, so she explained herself.

"I mean, I don't regret the sex. The sex was great." She gave him a flirtatious smile, "but not using protection? How dumb could we be? I couldn't imagine anything worse Castle." Finally, he responded.

"Yeah, that's a relief." She wasn't convinced by the tone of his voice, which contained a mixture of hurt and something that resembled bitterness.

"What is your problem Castle?" She questioned, genuinely confused as to why he was acting the way he was.

"I said I was sorry for pushing you away, but I was pretty freaked out and needed some time to calm myself down." She explained.

"Yeah," he began, "Afterall, I would be freaked out too if I realized that I was in danger of experiencing the worst thing possible in my life." He shot back at her before continuing.

"I've got just one question for you Kate. What the hell are we doing?"

"What is that supposed to mean? Why are you getting so mad?" she retaliated, matching his anger with her own. She was genuinely confused by his reaction and starting to get pissed off by it. Kate Beckett was not a fan of being put on the defensive.

"Well." He began. "I feel a bit foolish right now. You see. I followed you up here because I thought that you were it for me, but evidently we're not on the same page where a lot of things are concerned, especially if the idea of having my child is the most terrible thing in the world." He was yelling, but his voice was laced more with hurt than with anger.

"Castle, that's not what I meant. I…" She couldn't finish her explanation, as he cut her off.

"I _want_ you Castle. I _need_ you Castle. You were _all I could think_ about Castle." He threw her words from their first night together back at her,

"You know Kate, it's pretty shitty to say things like that. It could lead a guy to the wrong conclusion. It certainly did me." He bitterly spat at her.

"What the hell does that mean? Why are you questioning my feelings Castle?"

"Why am I questioning? WHY AM I QUESTIONING YOUR FEELINGS? Why do you think I'm questioning Kate? All you do is leave me to question." His voice was shaking with anger now, but he continued.

"You actually convinced me that you might…just MIGHT actually love me the way that I loved you. Forgive me for my ignorance and my mistake, but in the future Kate… don't be such a damn coward with your emotions. You should have just put me out of my misery, because it's damn cruel." He spat his final words at her as he slammed the cabin door shut. With tears burning his eyes he made a dash for the woods and as far away from her as possible.

* * *

Kate Beckett didn't know what hit her. She went over the conversation in her head, confused as to how it had gotten so out of hand so fast. _Why couldn't he have just waited a minute and listened?_ She thought to herself, as she was pretty sure that she could have cleared things up fairly quickly.

Of course having his baby wasn't the worst thing in the world. The thought of having his babies made her giddy, filling her with a hope for things to come. It was the thought of being pregnant in isolation, with no access to medical care and no guarantee of a safe delivery that she was referring to. Surely he knew that.

_Obviously he didn't, _She reasoned to herself as her tears fell. She was angry with him for leaving, but angrier with herself for not finding a way to make him secure in her love for him. She hoped he knew, but deep down she realized that just like she did, he needed to hear it.

She waited for him to return all afternoon, rehearsing what she would say. "Castle, I love you_". No, it sounds too forced now _she thought_._ "Castle, I'm sorry and I adore you",_ no way too cheesy_, she dismissed her second try.

"Damn you Richard Castle, you stubborn man. You're the love of my life." She nodded to herself, it seemed like a good approach. It was certainly better than anything else she could think of.

She paced the cabin as the sun began to set, no sign of him yet. Even as the wind began to pick up and the clouds rolled in, thunder beginning to rumble, he didn't show up. Beckett paced the front porch in the last of the daylight, watching as the temperature plummeted, the rain began to pour and the thunder clashed around her.

A sick feeling rooted in the pit of her stomach as she searched the treelike, which seemed to shift directions rapidly and violently as the wind unrelentingly bore down. A giant streak of lightening hit a nearby limb and she jumped as it crashed to the ground. It was the last thing she could clearly make out before the darkness completely set in.

The rain came unrelentingly, bringing with it a bitter cold for a June evening. The howling wind against the cabin sounded almost like an angry ghost as the storm showed no mercy. As panic began to overwhelm her, Kate grabbed a flashlight and ventured into the tempest.

She called his name, desperate for some signal of his nearness, but the wind carried her voice away. Her tears mixed with the cold and pounding rain as she continued to call for him, desperate that by some miracle he'd hear her and her presence would lead him home.

Terrifying thoughts began to enter her mind. What if he'd been struck by lightning or been the victim of a falling tree limb? What if the storm carried him so far off that he'd never find his way back to her? Beckett had absolutely no visibility in the torrential rain and the wind threatened to flatten her. She was finally forced back to the cabin by a close call with a lightning bolt; which struck near enough to send tingles up her legs and through her spine.

She entered the house and called for him, hoping beyond hope that he'd found his way home while she was out looking for him. She was met with silence however. Finally her worry and her grief over the day's events overtook her, causing her to sink to her knees in front of the door, sobs wracking her body.

After about 15 minutes she began to shiver, the cold prompted her to make her way to the bedroom, towel drying herself and changing into warm cloths. She returned to the living room and prepared the fire, determined to have the cabin warm and waiting for him _when _he returned.

She wasn't sure how long she sat in silence, the storm refusing to abate around her. Her thoughts continuously returned to Rick. They focused on how much she loved him and how lost she would be without him. She realized something profound in that moment. Just as the threat to her own life made her realize that she wanted him, made her understand how to communicate that to him, the threat to _his _life made her need to express her love to him undeniable.

She was no longer filled with confusion over how she felt or how to access the deep love that he seemed to feel for her, because it was all there. It was clear as day and she longed to be able to hold him close to her, to keep him safe and protected and to tell him and show him that her love for him was all-consuming.

She was startled from her thoughts by a banging from under the floor behind her. Looking outside again she saw that the storm raged on, as the bangs came again and propelled her to action. With all the strength she could muster she opened the trap door to reveal him standing there. He was soaking wet and shivering uncontrollably.

She offered him her hand and he accepted it, allowing her to steady him as he made his way up the remainder of the stairs and into the warmth of the cabin. Shutting the trap door with a loud bang, she took him in. He was pale, and his clothing was stuck to his body like a second skin. She was propelled into action quickly as she took his arm and let him to stand in front of the fire.

"Wait here." She spoke softly, making a dash up the stairs and to the dresser. She pulled out dry cloths, a towel, the blanket from on top of the dresser and the quilt from on top of the bed; stopping at last to grab his pillow before she made her way back down the stairs.

She didn't ask his permission before setting in on him, taking the towel to his face and hair, his arms and legs and rubbing the cold and dripping water from his body. She unbuttoned his wet shirt purposefully and shoved it off his shoulders, earning another shiver as the cabin air met his cold skin. She rubbed the towel there too, using enough pressure to increase the blood flow and help to warm him up naturally.

Without losing eye contact she unbuttoned his shorts, pulling his boxers down with them as she urged him to step out of the remainder of his wet cloths, socks and sneakers included. She finished her work with the towel, getting him dry but not reducing the shivers that caused his body to nearly convulse.

He finally spoke, "I'm…I'm sorry I rushed out. I overreacted." She simply placed her finger on his lips and whispered, "shhhh," Laying down the blanket from the top of the dresser and his pillow.

"Lay down." She ordered him, motioning for him to lay himself on the blanket in front of the fire. He did as she instructed and she covered him with their quilt. "I'm an idiot," she finally spoke, as she pulled her own pants and panties off and sunk to her knees next to where he was sprawled out. He gave her a look of confusion and she simply answered, "body heat."

She continued to speak as she lifted her shirt over her head and discarded it, leaving her naked as well.

"I'm an idiot for not telling you. There's so much I didn't tell you," she spoke while brushing her fingers along his jaw line.

"You're not a coward." He said.

"I want to have your babies." She answered, "just not here."

He nodded to her, indicating that after he'd cooled down he'd figured that out for himself, or at least that she was referring to being pregnant in isolation as a terrible fate.

"You don't owe me anything Kate." He whispered to her as she lifted the quilt and crawled under it, straddling his hips and placing her body on top of his.

"Shh." She whispered. She began to rub his arms with her hands, warming him. Leaning down she kissed his forehead, not losing eye contact.

"I love you." She spoke softly.

She rubbed her chest against his to create warmth through friction, while leaning down kissing the tip of his nose. "I love you." She spoke again, staring deeply into his eyes still.

Her legs slid along his to stimulate blood flow and she kissed his left cheek, "I love you," then his eye, which softly closed "I love you."

Moving to his right cheek she did the same, kissing his right eye all the while repeating herself, "I love you."

Finally she kissed his lips, "I love you Castle." She softly spoke, not being able to stop herself as she nipped just below his ear. "Rick, I love you."

The warmth of her words was contagious, setting him ablaze from within. Soon all memory of the cold, the rain and the night was gone as he responded to her in kind. Wrapping one arm around her waist, he used the other to sit himself up. She moved with him, coming to rest on his lap, her legs bent as they faced each other.

He moved himself again, lifting her slightly and wrapping his other arm around her as their lips made contact again. They whispered softly to eachother as he lifted her slightly, she taking his lead and bringing herself closer, raising her hips before settling onto him slowly.

The heat building within threatened to consume them as she took him deeply inside of her, their faces mere inches apart as their whispers of love mingled. As she rocked her hips with increasing intensity, her skin flushed feverishly against him. "We just fit Kate." He breathlessly whispered, their eyes never losing contact.

"I was made to fit you," came her tender reply.

When they came down they curled into eachother, remaining by the glow of the fire as the rain continued to pour outside. He trailed kisses along her neck, brushing his fingers in light caresses up and down her sides.

He looked at her and smiled, somewhat guiltily before speaking.

"Kate, we did it again." He informed her.

"mmmm, what?" she answered, refusing to open her eyes in the state of bliss she was currently enveloped in.

"We didn't use protection." They were both quiet for a moment and then they laughed, amazed at how far they'd come since their fight mere hours ago.

"Well love, I guess it's good I'm not ovulating yet then." She informed him as she curled herself more closely into his body.

* * *

**I'm eager for your thoughts, as I really loved this chapter. :) **


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own them.**

* * *

Life was blissful, considering where they were. Kate was amazed to find how much her confession of love, her honesty with Rick about her feelings, had freed her. She now was liberated to express herself as often as she wished and, at the moment, she yearned to do just that.

Late the evening before, after their emotionally intense love-making, the couple finally made their way upstairs and into bed. He had to coax her awake as they lay in front of the fire, afraid that they would both be sore if they slept the night on the floor. She shifted and moaned as she felt him plant kisses down her neck and across her bare arms, and shifted herself closer to where he rested behind her. Soon she felt his hand slip beneath the quilt and slide along her hip.

"Kate." He whispered to her softly. The heat from the fire, along with the warm and comforting presence she offered had completely warmed him from his time spent out in the storm, which had finally blown itself out.

"hmmmm." She contentedly acknowledged, not wanting to move from her current location.

"Kate, we should go upstairs and go to bed. If we sleep here we'll be stiff in the morning." She grinned evilly to herself as she pulled the hand that rested on her hip up to her mouth and gently licked and kissed his fingers.

"I don't know Rick," she replied to him, "the idea of stiff sounds pretty good right about now." He moaned to himself, pulling his fingers from her grip and planting them firmly back at her hip. Unable to stop himself, he grasped her tightly and pulled her backside into him. With a degree of satisfaction, Kate simply chuckled,

"I see you're already there." She commented on his stiffness. In attempt to bring him even closer to where she desperately wanted to feel him, she propped her leg up on his thigh, bent it slightly backwards, and created even more space for him as she urged him to enter her.

She groaned in frustration when he pushed her away from him and said, "no. Upstairs first." Castle stood, grabbed the blanket and reached down for her hand. When she took it he pulled her up quickly and lifted her against him. Taking his cue, she laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and legs around his waist.

"I love you Rick." She softly spoke to him.

"Yeah. You may have said that a couple of times." He teased before leaning in to place a kiss on her lips and whispering, "I love you too Kate." He set her down and they made their way to bed, Kate immediately taking control of things when they landed on the mattress.

She shifted herself on top of him, flattening her body and resting her legs outside of his. She shifted her hips just above where he knew they both wanted her. However, in contrast to a few minutes before in front of the fire, he was now the impatient one. She contented herself to leisurely place open-mouthed kisses along his jaw while he moved her hips down so that he could finally be inside of her.

Before he could push past her entrance she sat up, bringing her knees up to support her as she leaned over to grab the box below his side of the bed. She came back up to straddle him before speaking,

"I'm sure it would be a long shot, but let's not tempt fate again." She arched an eyebrow at him as she held the condom to him. He nodded to her and moved to grab it, but before he could a wicked grin crossed her face. She pushed his shoulders back and forced him to lie down on the bed once more before moving herself lower.

Rick Castle knew he was in over his head where she was concerned after their first case, when he watched her walk away from him. It became even more apparent that he was powerless against her when he realized how quickly she could tie him up in knots during their cases with a simple expression, or a few teasing words. After their first kiss in the dark alley he knew there was no going back, and after their first time together on that stormy night just a few months ago he knew he never wanted anyone else again.

However, it wasn't until that moment, when he witnessed Kate Beckett slide a condom onto him with nothing but her mouth, that he knew he was a dead man.

* * *

They'd allowed themselves to sleep in the following morning. She awakened first to find herself completely contented in his arms. Shifting to her side as she watched him sleep, she noted the intimate soreness she felt from the previous night's passion momentarily to herself.

She couldn't help but sigh as she lifted to ghost her fingers lightly across the side of his sleeping face, reflecting on the peacefulness that rested on his features. She was sure of two things in that moment. First that she'd never been so in love before and second, he was worth everything they'd been through since the day they met. She was going to spend the rest of her life with him and the assurance of that fact comforted her in the face of all of their uncertainties.

She allowed her fingers to brush softly up and down his chest as she continued to watch him sleep. However, Kate soon knew that he wasn't as dead to the world as she'd previously believed when she noted the smile sliding across his face. She leaned into him and placed soft kisses on his lips until he opened his eyes and smiled at her.

"Best way to wake up ever." He spoke contentedly to her as she moved to lay the top part of her body across his chest, crossed her arms and rested her chin on her hands. She smiled as she felt his heartbeat with the palms of her hands and gazed at him peacefully and somewhat shyly. He was somewhat confused by her timid expression until she spoke, answering all of his questions about her shift in mood.

"You're the love of my life, you know."

He was at a loss for words. The tears built in his eyes as the emotion of the moment overtook him. He thought back to the first time he saw her, flashing her badge at him with an intensity in her eyes that was unmatched by any other. A different emotion, but the same fire was in her expression now. Kate Beckett never said things she wasn't sure of and in that moment he knew that she was his for the long haul.

"I've waited so long for you to say that Kate." He brushed his hands through her hair and pulled her shoulders to help her scoot up on the bed. She came to rest on top of him and they tenderly kissed once again.

* * *

Their routine continued as the pair grew accustomed to sustaining themselves in the wilderness. They both reasoned that they could save water by showering together, although showering was usually not a top priority when they were there.

Beckett managed to hunt some smaller game, exposing them both to the unpleasant task of preparing the small animals for dinner. Although they enjoyed the meat, both were somewhat glad when they had fish or freeze-dried food because they could avoid the process of skinning an animal. She imagined that if they remained out there too much longer their opinions would change, as they would grow tired of the limited selections.

Sometimes at night they would lay awake under the stars, bringing a blanket from inside out onto the open field. They would spend the evenings counting shooting stars and sharing memories. Often their conversations would turn into fantasizing about all the things they would do if they could return to city life. There was a long list of restaurants, shows and spas.

On one evening, Beckett spoke longingly about candle-lit bubble baths and reading favorite books. This prompted Castle, who knew many of those books were his, to start telling her stories. Her favorites were when he would make entire plots up and enthrall her with the latest adventures of Nikki and Rook.

For his part, Rick missed technology. He missed movie nights and games and being able to answer any random question that would cross his mind with an internet search engine. Most of all, he missed Alexis. At times when he was struggling particularly, she would tell him stories, non-wild stories, of her first year in college. They allowed him to imagine that his daughter was carrying on with her life and doing ok in his absence.

There were times when the isolation got to them and they would yell and scream, at other times they would cry. They both broke down on a number of occasions, allowing themselves to be put back together by the tenderness of one another. Their touches, their kisses, their intimacy was like a soothing balm that would ease the ache within them.

The partners had learned long ago how to trust one another and how to lean on eachother for protection and physical support when danger arose. In the recent months they were growing in their relationship when it came to drawing on eachother's strength for emotional support. However, it was during these times in the woods that they both learned how to completely let their guard down. They learned how to share their burdens, to carry each other, to truly confide in one another, and to completely let go and to loose themselves in the moments they created together.

* * *

The next few weeks were uneventful for them. There was no word from anyone and although they were growing increasingly nervous, they were too caught up in each other to dwell on it for long. The summer afternoons were hot and they often spent time in the springs to keep themselves cool.

On one particular afternoon she floated on her back as the sun shone down on her. There were no swimsuits, but neither bothered with cloths when they swam anyhow. She smiled to herself when she felt his hand on the small of her back under the water. Without opening her eyes she lightly teased,

"Can I help you with something?" He didn't answer right away, but when he finally did his words stunned her.

"Kate, I can't live without you anymore." He looked at her solemnly as she sat up and brought her feet to rest on the bottom of the springs. Her hair was soaking wet and fell down her back as she reached to cup his face with her hand.

"Castle, I'm not going anywhere. Where is this coming from?" She questioned.

"We won't be out here forever. One day we will return to the real world. When we do that I can't go back to living without you Kate." Understanding crossed her face as she realized what he was talking about. He continued to speak,

"I know we're not just together because there is no one else out here, but I've gotten used to waking up with you every morning Kate and I don't think I can go back." She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him closer to her.

"I promise that wherever in the world we live, we'll do it together." He smiled at her words and rested his forehead against hers for a moment. Soon scooped up the cool water, which came to rest at Kate's waist where they stood, and allowed it to cascade down her bare back. She smiled coyly at him before reaching down and scooping the water herself, letting it fall from her hands into his hair and onto his face.

As if she'd declared war, he narrowed his eyes at her and lightly splashed. Jumping back from him slightly she pushed the water back at him more forcefully and unleashing a full battle between them. They were both soaked before too long, water violently pushed in eachother's direction.

He clearly had her due to physical size, but she refused to give in to him. Venturing through Kate's splashes, he rushed her and grabbed around her waist. Lifting her into the air and tilting her further away from the water, he carried her into a deeper part of the spring where she couldn't get her footing.

By the time he placed her back in the water she was laughing hysterically. She wrapped both arms around his shoulders and took a deep breath as they both sunk beneath the surface and felt the cool, clear water on their faces.

Their complete lack of gravity forced them apart under the water, but he grabbed her wrist and kept them connected. They locked eyes for a moment in the quiet beneath the surface and he placed her palm over his beating heart, communicating his love wordlessly to her once again.

* * *

They stood in the kitchen that evening, preparing their dinner together as they chatted and teased about who was the better cook. He insisted that she ate out too much to have enough practice at it, and she argued that she'd been raised by a fantastic cook who taught her everything she knew.

They were also enjoying the strawberries that Rick had managed to grow. While small, they were extremely tasty and the fresh fruit was very welcome to both of them. She smiled at him sweetly as he fed her a strawberry, and as she reached for the bowl to do the same for him, she froze.

They both heard it at the same time, the unmistakable sound of a motor. It had been months since they'd heard one. It had been since Jordan had left them in isolation. They both looked at eachother intensely for a moment, Kate motioning for him to grab his gun as she did the same.

When she went to the window and looked out, peaking from the corner for a moment, the blood drained from her face. Their greatest hope was that it was agent Shaw, coming to take them home. Instead Kate beheld her greatest fear, as she looked upon three men stepping out of the car. One of them was clearly the man who had nearly killed Kate on the rooftop.

He looked around the property first, and upon seeing that there was no one outside, he stepped toward the cabin and spoke,

"Hello Kate! You and Mr. Castle have been quite difficult to find, but we know that you're in there. If you come out I promise we'll do this quick and easy."

She stumbled back from where she'd been standing next to the window and fell directly into Castle's arms. "How many are there?" He asked her quietly.

"Three, but I don't think we can fight them Castle." She spoke. "Help me move this." She motioned to the couch as she tried to push it against the door. She had to be sure that the men could not get in the cabin. The loud screeching of the furniture left no question that they were inside, as she knew it would.

"We've got a shot." He argued, "If we take them out through the window."

"No. I've got a better idea." She whispered. At that moment their attacker yelled again.

"Do you think a barricade will protect you? I'll give you another minute before we burn you both out Kate," came the man's threat. Castle paled considerably at the man's words and looked to Kate for a reaction.

Kate simply nodded to herself, as if satisfied by them. She grabbed Castle by the hand and led him to the trap door. They quickly and quietly lifted it and made their way down into the bunker below.

They found themselves completely in the dark, unaware of what was going on above them. "We've got to keep moving Castle." She spoke as she made her way through the dark and felt for the door she knew would be there. When she found it she opened it gently and led them into the tunnel once again.

They ran, hearts beating in their chests as they made their way as far from the cabin as possible. It was still completely dark, but they continued with the knowledge that the closer they came to the outside world, the brighter the tunnel would become.

When they finally reached the edge of the tunnel they crawled out silently, remaining close to the ground and covered from their attackers by the rocks and plants around them. When the pair finally looked up Castle gasped at what he saw, their cabin was going up in flames. The three men waited outside and watched as the wooden structure was eventually engulfed completely.

Castle, who was filled with rage, reached for his gun and prepared to move, but Beckett reached out to stop him. "Even if we manage to kill them, what do you think will happen when they don't return?" She whispered to him. "You know he'll just send more. If he thinks we're alive, it won't stop" He looked at her as the words sank in, "So you're making them think we're inside." He concluded.

She nodded to him, "If they think we're dead they will leave us alone. I purposely barricaded the door so they wouldn't question that we were in there."

Soon the cabin that they'd come to call home was unrecognizable. There was no way that anyone inside would find anywhere to survive. Seemingly satisfied after several more minutes, the men returned to their vehicle and left.

Castle and Beckett simply watched as what was left of the cabin fell apart, the structure eventually becoming undone by the flames. Neither of them were sure how many hours had passed before one of them spoke.

"I think it would be best if we stayed out of sight for at least a couple of days." Castle turned at her words and she clarified, "I know we're in the middle of nowhere, but we don't know who the smoke might draw."

Castle leaned his back against a tree and pulled Kate into his arms. The warm night breeze and the steadiness of the crickets chirping didn't offer much comfort to them. They only had eachother's physical presence to lighten the heaviness that settled in both of their chests as their future became even more unknown.

The partners were silent as they remained awake through the night, watching the as the glow from the embers darkened before finally going out on the wreckage of the only home they'd known for the past months.

* * *

**Ahhhh! No roof over their head. What are they going to do! Ahhh! :) **


	8. Chapter 8

When morning came it brought along with it the reality of their situation. Guns in holsters, the pair tentatively made their way to the ruins, seeking out anything that may have survived the fire. Unfortunately, the intensity of the blaze left little in its wake.

"They must have used an accelerant or something." Kate reflected to herself. "It all went up in flames so quickly."

"It's also a wooden structure Kate. We were living in a tinderbox." Castle added his own thoughts.

She simply nodded at him, using a foot to sweep around what she could. They noted fairly quickly that there were still hot spots, and so they left the area to not jostle any fires back to life. From the cabin they walked to the woodshed, which was far enough away to have been saved from the flames. Kate had hoped silently to herself that the shed wouldn't catch fire as well, and yesterday's lack of wind definitely steered things in their favor.

Castle noted that his garden did not fare as well, as it was close enough to the cabin that wreckage from the structure covered the fertile ground. He made a note that at some point he would return there, clear the debris from the patch of land, and see if there was anything worth saving. He was doubtful that there would be.

When they entered the shed, they took a mental inventory of what was there. Before its contents were noted, but not really taken into consideration. Now it was all they had, save for the items Beckett had stored for a situation such as this. There wasn't much left in the shed, save for wood and some old tools. However, there was still freeze-dried food, namely the goods that they'd placed on the shelves after running out of room in their kitchen. There was also the lantern, and the extra candles that she'd placed next to it.

Beckett grabbed an old, empty crate and motioned for Castle to do the same. In one crate they piled small and medium pieces of wood; in the other they stored food, the lantern and the candles. They made their way back to the springs with their crates in tow. There, under the cover of the surrounding trees, they gathered their remaining belongings and began to build what semblance of a home they could.

On the inside of the tunnel, which opened like a cave, Beckett showed Castle everything she'd gathered for them. "You must have been a girl scout." He spoke adoringly to her.

"I was, but all we did was sell cookies. They didn't teach us survival, Rick." She responded to him, using care to take the edge off her voice. Between the shed and the supplies, they had enough food to last for a few weeks, but not much longer. She'd also provided them with a few containers filled with water, but they would have to figure out where to get more soon. The obvious choice was the spring, but she was a little unsure as to whether or not the water was safe to drink.

Rick was surprised to find many other items he'd not seen before. He held up two and looked at her questioningly, not sure what their purpose was.

"Firesteel and a knife sharpener, I found them in the shed and put them out here." Kate explained to Rick, who nodded at her explanation.

"You also found the quilt?" He asked.

"And the sleeping bag." Came her answer. "I also threw some extra cloths out here for both of us." Kate added before handing him the small pile of men's clothing. She took her own options in, remembering that she'd placed a lot of the things she couldn't see herself wearing out here. Kate realized to herself that her clothing options now rested with the shorts and tank top she'd been wearing, luckily with a bra and panties, two cotton sundresses, a t-shirt and some tube tops.

She groaned at the reality of hiking around the forest in a dress, but was glad for something clean to change into. She also showed Castle the extra fishing pole and the ammo. She sat on her knees and took a deep breath. Now that the reality of their situation had settled upon her, she was quite angry at herself. There were clearly things that she'd wished they had, but didn't. The top two on her list being the rifle, and cooking supplies.

"Of all the food I was sure to secure for us, I didn't think to grab a pan." She spoke aloud, the self-deprecation clear in her voice. "How could I have been so stupid?" She wondered.

"Hey." He spoke to her, shifting to rest them both against the back of the mouth of the cave. "You've done a wonderful job here, and I'm so glad you took the time to do this Kate." He pulled her into his chest and let her rest there.

"There's also a good chance that there are still pans Kate. Did you see the wreckage? Everything was gone, but the stove looked untouched." He said.

"It wouldn't work anymore Castle." She offered.

"I know that, but it isn't the stove, it's the connections that burned. My point is that a lot of the pans we had were cast iron, just like the stove. There is a chance they are buried beneath the rubble, but survived the fire." She considered the possibility, there certainly was reason to hope.

That night they settled themselves in at the mouth of the tunnel. It was big enough for them both and provided cover because of the underbrush. Most importantly, it provided them some shelter from the elements. They both piled into the sleeping bag, providing them with ample warmth. Although the night air in the mountains was chilly, it was nowhere near cold enough to be dangerous anymore. Still, they were more comfortable with each other than without and neither could sleep without the feel of the other against them anymore.

Beckett awakened in the night, startled by what she could only guess was an animal scurrying in the underbrush. She sat up, noting that at some point she must have unzipped the sleeping bag and thrown the top cover off. There wasn't much room in there and the body heat provided to be too much. She was fully alert, hair standing up on her arms, but unable to see anything on the springs or in the forest.

Rick's hand came to rest on her bare thigh, as he cleared the sleep from his voice he asked, "Beckett, what is it?"

"I'm not sure, but I think I heard something." Kate gave little thought to her nakedness as she reached for her gun and tilted her head out of their cave. She braced herself for what she might find, but all she saw was a deer, who simply looked at her before taking off into the woods again.

Letting out a sigh, lowered her weapon, turning back to look at Castle. "It was just a damn deer." She said. He nodded to her and then spoke.

"You know, for a minute there I couldn't help but notice…" He began. She arched an eyebrow at him and waited for him to continue. "You're standing there, in the dark against the mouth of a cave. You're gloriously naked and the only light cast on your silhouette is from the moon." There was a hit of dreaminess in his voice, accompanied by a hint of lust.

"Do you have a point Rick?" She asked.

"The way you held that gun, was so Nikki Heat. You could be the cover of my next book."

She rolled her eyes at him, "Really Castle? An imminent threat is potentially upon us and you're admiring my body in the moonlight while making up covers for your next novel?" He simply smirked,

"Anybody would admire your body in any light Beckett." She turned and smirked at him before returning to their sleeping bag. They were silent for a minute before she heard him speak again,

"Just think about it… Nikki and Rook, stranded and depending only on each other for survival; adventure and lots and lots of kinky sex abound. It could be called _Wild Heat_."

She rolled her eyes at him, "Go back to sleep Castle." It was one of those moments where they both felt like they were back to their old ways of bickering and teasing. The only major differences were their lack of dress and the way that Kate pulled his arm around her waist as she moved to let him spoon her in the night.

Before they fell asleep, Kate whispered, "I'm glad you're here with me Rick."

His response, in kind with the roots of their relationship, fell from his lips in one word, "Always."

* * *

Life was much more difficult for them following their loss of the cabin. They did consider themselves lucky that, upon sifting through the rubble, they were able to identify a few surviving items. This included a cast iron frying pan.

They settled themselves in as best as possible, using the mouth of the cave for shelter and building an area for their fire. Castle spent time downstream and was able to catch them trout for dinner on several occasions. One of Beckett's most immediate tasks was to locate the well that had supplied water to the cabin. She couldn't recall if Shaw had mentioned whether or not it had a hand pump, but she knew many did.

They were pretty lucky to find that it did, in fact, have a functioning manual pump. She sank to her knees and drank directly from it before filling one of the empty containers from their freeze-dried meals with water for Castle. He would fill and take the containers with him when he went to fish, keeping himself as hydrated as possible.

They kept a few toiletries in the outhouse, which was unaffected by the fire, but nothing there was of much use to them outside of the bathroom. What Kate really hoped for was to find some soap, not just for their clothing, but for their bodies and their hair. Unfortunately, most of those supplies _were_ lost in the fire.

She thought that she would have grown accustomed to losing everything by now, considering the explosion at her apartment years before, but this was different. There was no grocery store to go to. She couldn't pick up the essentials that she desired now. There was also no loft to take refuge in during the nights immediately following the blaze ether. However, there was Rick and for that she was grateful.

On a particularly hot and sunny afternoon she was sifting through the rubble, focusing around where they'd built the shower. As if her prayers had been answered, she noticed a small white cube lying in the grass a few yards away from where the shower had once been. She picked it up and immediately recognized it as the soap that Castle had purchased. Kate wasn't sure how it had managed to get so far from the shower, but supposed it may have been thrown out during their most recent _activities_ in said shower.

Regardless, Kate had never been so happy to find soap in her life. She returned to camp with a feeling of satisfaction, glad that she'd acted on her hunch to go check around the shower. Dirty from her searching around the rubble, she immediately made her way downstream and into another deeper area of water.

From her new location she could spot Castle and he spotted her. Smiling at her presence, he waited for her to approach. She did, triumphantly holding up the bar in her hands and declaring "We've got soap!" He smiled widely at her and watched as she waded further upstream and pulled the white cotton sundress off of her body.

It wasn't that he wasn't used to seeing her naked, as he had many times. However, each time Castle did he swore she took his breath away. He watched her place the dress on a nearby rock as she reached into the water and began to wash herself. Unable to resist the temptation, he set the fishing pole down and waded up stream to where she'd settled.

His cloths quickly joined hers and he waded slightly deeper into the cool water. She smiled at him as he took the bar of soap from her hands and created lather in his own. He gently cleansed her arms and her back, taking pause after each body part to rinse the soap.

She leaned back into him, her body seeming to move on its own accord, when he reached around to wash her stomach. He lightly kissed her neck as his hands moved to cover each breast in soap, taking care to wash her scar as he continued up her chest.

His lips traveled from her neck to her jaw as he lathered the suds along her collarbone. For her part, Kate could do little more than place both of her hands on his hips, using his sturdy frame to keep her upright. The strategy worked until his hands moved south, taking care to gently wash her lower stomach and gently moving to caress her intimately.

When his fingers parted her, Kate's knees buckled. His strong arm came across her waist and held her tight to him as he used his other to rinse the soap from her body. Once the suds were gone, and he was sure there was no danger of the soap irritating her skin, he moved his fingers back to where they'd been stroking.

She could feel his arousal pressed against her and it set alarms off in her head. Although there had been accidents before, they'd vowed to be more careful and now they were presented with a problem. Fighting the haze of pleasure that was threatening to take over her body, she pressed her hands behind her, urging him to take a step back.

"Castle, we can't do this. We've got to stop," came her breathless plea.

"No we don't. Nobody's around Kate." He spoke, sliding his fingers more deeply inside of her and using his palm to cup her.

"No. _Oh God_, she moaned at his touch. No. You don't understand. We don't have anything for protection Castle. I can't get pregnant out here." That slowed him, but he didn't stop.

"My fingers can't get you pregnant Kate." He whispered, "We can just make sure it stops before things go too far," came his reasoning.

"You know as well as I do that if we keep going neither of us will be able to stop ourselves." She stated in urgency. The slowing of his motions was torturous to her body. He ether needed to stop or speed up, and if the latter happened things would get out of control. He let out a heavy sigh as he withdrew his hand from her, but held her close for a moment longer as he tried to gather himself.

He stepped away from her and kneeled into the cold water, hoping it would have the desired effect and calm him down. She did the same thing and they sat there for several moments, their gazes locked. Being this close, but unable to act on their desires was going to be hell.

"When I find Cole Maddox, I'm going to murder him with my bare hands." Castle spoke intensely.

Beckett raised an eyebrow. "Really? Burning down the cabin and trying to kill us doesn't drive you to this rage, but destroying our condoms does?" She asked incredulously.

"You're damn right it does." He declared.

Kate simply rolled her eyes and laughed, sending him a quick splash before making her way to where he'd set the soap down on their clothing and retrieving it. After that, the pair bathed in companionate silence, if sex was off limits things were going to get damned interesting, and they both knew it.

* * *

**A/N: Many of you have noted on wanting to know what the heck is going on in the outside world. Don't worry. I have, in fact, developed that part of the story. However, you'll have to wait a bit longer. By the end you will have answers :)**

**I'm going to enjoy the "look but don't touch" tension between them for awhile, but the story will continue to move fairly quickly again soon. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Another update in the same day! Yay for me. **

Days passed, turning into weeks and both Castle and Beckett felt the stress and the pressure of survival wearing on them. They also felt the tension building between them. Kate didn't think it would be nearly as difficult as it was to keep their hands off of each other. Afterall, they'd gone years without physical intimacy; and it wasn't like there wasn't an attraction there.

What she hadn't accounted for was that they now knew what they were missing. She knew what his body felt like pressed intimately against hers. She was familiar with how they moved together, with how they loved. They'd both grown accustomed to the magic that they'd created with their union and living without it was a lot easier said than done.

For his part, Castle wanted just a taste, a touch. He wanted to caress her skin and run his lips across every inch of her body. He wanted her with every fiber of his being and holding back was becoming physically painful. They spent a good amount of time apart during their days, he attempting to catch fish, or working to recover his garden; she working to recover anything else that they might be able to use.

In the evenings they would lie close, but she would often have to pull away to limit physical proximity and lessen the likelihood of caving into each other. Although they slept farther apart, they remained close enough to reach out to eachother. They often found that their hands would find eachother in the night, and fingers would lace; seeking out the physical contact and comfort.

He didn't bathe with her anymore, but she knew that he watched her intensely when she did. She couldn't control the way his gaze affected her. She'd catch him out of the corner of her eye and warmth would immediately pool within her abdomen. She would close her eyes and inhale deeply, imagining his hands on her and it took everything in her power not to touch herself.

She withheld though, namely because she didn't want to put him through watching that when he couldn't act on it. When she was done bathing she would pass him the soap and leave him in privacy, knowing that he would need the space to manage the way she affected him.

They also started wearing clothing to bed, as one more obstacle would only be protective against their loss of control. She was amazed with herself. She'd never had such a problem managing her emotions before, and if it had been anyone else she would have called the lack of discipline juvenile and pathetic.

Regardless of how ridiculous she felt, the fact couldn't be denied that they were struggling with themselves and eachother. Their senses were heightened, turning the slightest touches into something altogether sensual. She was hyper-aware of his smell, and it created a craving within her for him.

Every now and then they would give in and kiss, unleashing their desires and their love. He would snake his hands through her hair and inhale her scent, taking her essence in as if she were some drug and he was an addict. They would keep their kisses as controlled as possible, pulling away before things got out of hand.

It wasn't what they wanted, but it was a promise of things that were to come as soon as they got themselves out of their current circumstance.

* * *

On one rainy August morning Kate awoke to find herself sprawled out on her sleeping bag, dressed in a thin, white, cotton dress, her arm was stretched out towards the middle where her fingers laced with Rick's. She looked up to find his loving gaze upon her, a dreamy smile on his face. She was amazed how he managed to bring butterflies to her stomach with a simple look, or a blush to her cheeks with his smile.

"Haven't I told you before that it's creepy to stare?" She asked him, a mocking tone of indignation in her voice. He didn't reply to her and just smiled a bit wider, caressing the back of her hand with his thumb.

"I love you." He spoke softly to her.

"I love you too Rick." She answered sweetly. He continued to rub his thumb across the back of her hand, almost reminiscent of another time. It reminded her of their time dog-sitting for Royal, when he softly stroked her skin with a warm intensity in her eyes. She was pulled from her memory when he started to speak again.

"Kate, I want to marry you." He stated, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Her breath caught in her throat as she froze, her hand tensing up. Castle grasped her hand more tightly to show her that he was completely serious, speaking to her once again.

"Please. If we ever get out of here, say you'll marry me. I don't want to live without you Kate."

Tears welled in Kate's eyes, a smile crossing her face as she looked lovingly at him. She pulled herself more closely to where they were joined and kissed the back of his hand, laughing softly and joyfully as she nodded her head to him.

"Yes. Yes, I'd marry you right now if I could." She gently answered him.

He met her in the middle and kissed her fiercely, pulling her completely into his arms. She met him with equal fervor, relishing in the feel of his soft lips against hers. Her hands came up to cup his face, holding him to her lips as she sought more from him.

He granted her silent request and slid his tongue against hers, adding an erotic feel to the moment that caused her to moan. Unable to stop himself, he rolled them so that he had her pinned to the ground beneath them, using his knee to part her bare thighs.

Without a conscious thought, Kate pushed her hips upward against him and wrapped one leg around his thigh. Finally able to touch her and taste her, Castle slid his hand up her side and moved to cup her breast; the other remaining fixed on the back of her head where his fingers intertwined with her hair and pulled her back to grant him more access to her neck.

When his fingers tweaked her nipple beneath the cotton dress she cried out in shocked pleasure, arching her back up and her hips forward. When she felt his arousal urging against her center for entrance the reality of the situation crashed down on her.

For a moment she was torn, a small part of her rational brain knew that they were playing a dangerous game. However, every inch of her body cried out for more of his touch and the aching she felt to have him inside of her was overwhelming. She knew she was on the verge of snapping and desperately needed to pull herself back.

Both of her hands braced his shoulders, her fingers digging into his skin as she waged her internal struggle. She kept him from getting closer, but was unable to push him farther away and so they remained suspended on the precipice of their own ecstasy.

Castle sensed her shift and knew her internal struggle. It was the same that he was fighting in the moment. In his love for her, he decided that he would be the one to pull away. It was obvious that they both wanted this more than anything. However, he knew her well enough to know that she would hate herself after.

With all the self-control he could muster, Rick pushed himself up and off of her. He quickly stood and rushed out of their shelter and down to the water. Kate watched him for some time, forcing himself to calm down from the heated state that they'd gotten themselves into. She pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around her knees; rocking herself to alleviate her internal struggle.

Kate felt extremely guilty for losing control once again. This was the second time that they'd lost control and both times resulted in him having to take a very cold dip to calm himself down. She cried in frustration, overwhelmed not only by their current inability to act on their feelings, but by the entirety of their situation.

_How much longer will we last out here? _She thought somberly to herself. She wasn't just referring to the sexual tension, which was as thick as it had ever been. Her concern revolved around the fact that they'd been there for nearly a month since the cabin burned and they were quickly running out of food.

Fishing supplemented, but didn't provide every day. Hunting was nearly impossible without the rifle, and their freeze-dried meals were dwindling rapidly. She'd even tried creating snares to catch rodents, but was having no luck. She wasn't sure what they were going to do and knew that soon they were going to have to make a move and try to find civilization.

Shaking her thoughts, Kate rose to approach Castle. They were both calmer, more rational now and she needed to thank him for loving her enough to walk away. When she told him this, he remained silent with his back turned to her.

"I love you Kate, and I'll do whatever it takes to make sure we're alright. Something's got to give though and we both know it." He spoke, still with some struggle in his voice. She knew he was right, if they kept getting themselves into those situations one of them was going to snap, control would be lost on both parts, and it would be all over.

* * *

They were nearly out of food and the stress from their situation was wearing on both of them. They cut back to preserve what they had left and their hunger simply added to their irritability and their fear. One rainy evening Kate made a statement to Castle.

"I'm going back down the tunnel." She stated out of sheer desperation.

"What do you mean, below the cabin?" He asked.

"I've got to try to find us some food. A lot of it was expired, but some of it wasn't and we need all we can get Castle." She reasoned with him.

"Kate. You're talking about venturing down a tunnel and into a room that, if even still there, will be at best, unstable and dangerous." His concern was clearly evident in his voice.

"Rick, I've got to try. I'll be in and out as quickly as possible." She implored him to understand how essential her decision was.

"I'm going in with you." He stated.

"It's better if you wait out here Castle, we both don't need to be in danger." She argued.

"The hell we don't. You should know by now Kate. You go, I go. Besides, if something happens I want to be there to get you out." She could tell by the tone in his voice that there was no arguing. Even if she left him, she knew he'd follow.

So together they went, taking a lantern to guide them on their path. As they drew closer to the room, dust and ash grew thick in the air. It only worsened as they continued to move, kicking it up and tossing it back into the thick air. The door to the room looked unaltered, so Kate stepped in tentatively.

However, when she saw the inside of the room she saw that it was far from unscathed. The ceiling was charred, sections having caved in, and the shelving, which was connected to the walls and fastened at the ceiling, was highly unstable. Because of the height of the room under the partially collapsed and unstable frame, his tall figure couldn't manage in the space. So, Kate quickly set to work in the room, grabbing what food supplies she could find that were still good.

She brought the food to Castle, who placed it in the crate they'd carried along with them where he stood in the tunnel, just outside of the door frame. The more she moved about, opening and closing the door, changing the weight on the shelving, the more ash and soot she kicked up. She was nearing the end of her task when shelving began to break off and the ceiling began to creak, small crumbles of debris falling around her.

Upon hearing the noise from within the room Castle called, "Beckett come on. We've got enough."

"Just a few more." She responded to him, moving to the far end of the room to remove the remaining cans from the shelving. Another load creak was heard and more crumbling.

"Beckett! Kate, get out of there now!" He screamed, his fear taking over.

However, unlike last time, the debris didn't stop falling. Before Castle knew what was happening, the ceiling gave way and part of the shelving crumbled to the floor.

When the dust cleared he was not met with the sight of Kate at all, but a pile of rubble over the last place he'd seen her standing.

* * *

**Cliffhanger! I won't leave you hanging long. Working on the next chapter now :)**

**Also, quick clarification point on the story. The tent Kate found was too ravaged by the elements, but she did salvage the sleeping bag. That's from the chapter where she made the stockpile if anyone wants to double check; I'm going to go back myself and be sure it made it from my notes to the text-but I think it did! :) I love that you guys are enjoying this! **


	10. Chapter 10

His heart stopped. For a few terrible seconds Castle was at a loss. He couldn't form a coherent thought and was sure that he would never breathe again if he didn't hear her voice. Shaking the panic off he made his way into the small room to assess the damage and find her.

He noted that most of the rubble formed around where the staircase had been; the ceiling caved over where the trap door once was. He called her name desperately.

"Kate!" He screamed, praying that he would hear her answer, but was met with silence.

He turned his attention immediately to the pile on his right, where he'd seen her last and started to dig. He could hear what was left of the ceiling creaking again and knew that he needed to move fast. He also knew that he would get her out of there or die trying. Again, he screamed.

"Kate!" Then he heard a cough, and another. "Castle..." Came her reply from the corner of the room by the door that he'd just occupied.

He ran to the corner and started to dig, refusing to stop until he saw her hand, then her arm, reaching for him. The structure groaned again, making its instability known. With each piece of rubble moved, each part of shelf disturbed, he knew the room was becoming less and less stable. Still, he continued to dig.

She helped from within, soon clearing a hole large enough for him to pull her out of the blackened rubble. Without bothering to see if she could walk on her own, he pulled her up against him and dragged them both out. He knew she wasn't seriously injured, at least externally, because she'd been able to crawl out to him and stand on her own.

"When I saw that the roof was about to cave I dove under the shelf in the corner. I figured that the support from two walls would be stronger. I jumped on the old mattress and managed to get my head under the shelves and that's what protected me." She explained to him as they made their way out of the tunnel.

Castle didn't respond to her, simply pulling her along with him as they returned to the area where their bedding was. He didn't stop there though, instead he grabbed the soap and pulled her down into the springs alongside him instead.

She was covered in soot, her cloths blackened and her body slightly bruised. The rain was still falling lightly, but part of the night sky had cleared enough to cast the glow of the moonlight upon them. Under the luminescent full moon, she could see into his eyes well enough to tell that something was very wrong.

"Castle, are you ok? Did you get hurt?" She asked him. He ignored her, urging her to comply as he forcefully pulled her shirt from her body. She went along with him, knowing that she needed to get clean.

"Rick. Talk to me." She urged him, but he simply undid the button on her shorts and pulled the remaining clothing down her legs in one tug. She used his shoulders for balance and stepped out of her cloths. The rain was starting to wash some of the soot from her face and her hair limply framed her face.

She noticed that he was drenched as well, examining his wet hair as he removed his own dirty clothing. Still getting no response from her partner, whose burning intensity was starting to unhinge her, Kate began to talk.  
"Look. I'm sorry if I scared you." He forcefully turned her body away from his as she spoke, using the rain to wet the soap and create lather before he started to wash her back with his hands.

"It was a Risk that we needed to take Castle. We needed that food and we got it." She turned her head, hoping that her triumphant statement would lighten his mood. It did nothing of the sort as he simply turned her head back away from him and moved to wash her hair.

She gave up for a few moments, allowing him to brood in silence as she took in the scenery around her. There was something magical about the way rain hit water, creating a mist-like series of splashes where the two forces met. She felt his back against her fully as he moved closer to lather the front of her body, taking care to not miss her neck.

When he held the soap up to her face she took it momentarily to create lather, before he silently demanded she return it to him. Once she was rinsed off and clean she turned to watch him as he bathed himself in silence. She moved to take to soap, an offer to wash him as he did her, but he ignored the olive branch.

Finally desperate enough to push him, Beckett tried again. "You're going to have to talk to me at some point." Castle, who finished rinsing himself off spun on her with a quickness that startled the woman. He walked up to her, placing both hands on her arms as he began to pull her towards him.

"I thought you were dead Kate." He rasped.

"I'm ok Castle. I'm here and I'm just fine." She moved her hands to rest on his hips comfortingly as she said it.

"Damnit Kate. Don't you get it? Every time you deliberately put your life in danger, you put MY life in danger." She wrinkled her brow, not understanding how she could possibly be responsible. Afterall, she purposely made him stay out of the room.

"Castle, you were safe. I saw to that, as I always try to see to it." Kate implored him.

"NO! You don't understand!" He was shaking with desperation, "You are my life Kate. My LIFE. If you die, you take the best parts of me with you. You can't do that. You can't take our lives for granted Kate." Tears were burning in his eyes and the fear, the sorrow, was clear on his face now.

Kate reached her hand up to cup his cheek. "I'm so sorry Castle." Before she could say anymore, he forcefully pulled her against him and kissed her. His lips were desperate, seeing to claim her as his own, to show her what she was to him so that she'd stop putting herself in danger.

Kate responded fully, snaking her hands through his wet hair as the rain continued to fall around them. His arms wrapped completely around her and pulled her tight against him, naked skin against naked skin. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Kate finally snapped. He needed her. He needed proof of life and Damnit she needed him.

She couldn't deny them any longer, moaning into his mouth as she jumped into him and wrapped her legs around his waist. He quickly moved them both towards the banks of the spring, where the soft earth had given to the rain. She refused to let him go as he tried to maneuver them further up the bank, causing him to finally give up on relocation as the need to take her completely possessed him.

He laid her into the soggy ground, pinning her flat on her back as he shifted himself against her center and entered her with a swift thrust. She bit into his neck, attempting to drown a scream as she reveled in the sensation of once again being filled by him.

As if in accordance with their passion, the rain poured harder, causing Kate to shift her head to rest against his shoulder to keep the large drops from her face. He continued to thrust himself, drawing out moans and then screams as he pulled her under the waves of her own ecstasy.

The combination of her clenching walls and her screams, "Oh God Rick. God I love you!" proved to be too much for him and he soon found himself unable to hold out any longer. He moved to pull out of her, but her hands came to his backside at the same moment, urging him deeper as he sent her over the edge yet again.

Unable to hold out any longer, he spent himself inside of her, gasping against her neck as he came down from his high. Her own breathing came down as well, their hearts returning to a normal pace as her hands caressed up and down the sides of his back.

After a few moments, he pulled himself out of her. He started to apologize for losing control, but she stopped him. With a finger pressed to his lips she softly spoke,

"_You_ didn't lose control Castle. _We_ lost control." She waded deeper into the springs to wash the mud from the saturated dirt off of her back, pulling him deeper into the water along with her. He looked at her somewhat uncertainly as she pulled him further out.

"I just don't want you to hate yourself Kate. I know we weren't supposed to." He softly spoke.

"Rick." She whispered, bringing them out deep enough that she could come eye level with him, wrapping her arms around his neck, "I would never regret being with you, ever. You're the love of my life. You're my one and done. I'm going to marry you and whatever happens, we'll face it together."

They moved together then, kissing until they couldn't anymore. Kissing until they didn't have the mental clarity to continue to stay afloat and they both sank under the dark waters of the springs together, their lips still melded as one.

* * *

**See, cliffhangers involve intense circumstances. Intense circumstances lead to heightened emotions. Heightened emotions lead to loss of control... so there you go ;) **


	11. Chapter 11

**Myfidgetball, you rock my socks off. Just saying! :D and now...**

* * *

The brutally hot, late August air had no breeze whatsoever. It was worsened by the reflection of the sun on the pavement, the insulation of the humidity by the infastructure of city life. Victoria Gates unbuttoned her collar, which felt as if it were choking her at the moment, as she made her way through the airport garage and to her vehicle.

She'd been back in the city for mere minutes and she was already wishing she could leave again, to return to where she'd left her husband in South Carolina. Upon the urges of Agent Shaw, and in order to ensure whoever may have been watching that she had no part in the investigation, the woman consented to spend a considerable portion of the past month away from New York.

To say the weeks, the months that had gone by had been long and eventful would be a vast understatement. The reality of the situation was that the captain's reality had shifted significantly, her universe tilting on its axis as she grappled with the reality that her city was not as she knew it. It took a great deal for the woman, who'd made a name for herself in IA, to become impacted, but the last few months certainly did just that.

Pressing the unlock button on her keychain, she heard her car sound in response. She got in, made herself comfortable and put her seatbelt on. The captain had become hypervigilant in the past weeks, with good reason, always checking her car for intruders and monitoring her rear view mirror for suspect drivers that may have been following her.

Things had calmed down considerably since the bombing of the 12th, which she supposed was more of a warning than a major event. She had absolutely no doubt about who the warning was meant for, as the blast seed had been identified underneith detective Ryan's desk. Luckily, he was out on a case at the time. However, three other officers weren't as fortunate and the duty of informing their loved ones fell to her.

Several major changes occurred after that incident. One of the most disturbing happened on the same afternoon as the bombing, which was obviously not a coincidence. Although the details were murky, apparantly Richard Castle's mother was reading a newspaper when a section fell out. In the moment she bent to retrieve it, a sniper bullet lodged in the kitchen wall. It was obvious that it was meant for her, but she shifted at exactly the right second and was spared.

Once it became apparent that anyone associated with Beckett was a target, and that if the 12th didn't back down much worse would come, families were moved to safety. Gates saw to it personally that Castle's mother and daughter were placed into witness protection for the time being. The same option was given to Jim Beckett, who was called in at the same time as Martha and Alexis.

The three, who weren't more than aquaintences, made the decision to go with the U.S. Marshalls, and were re-located together. The common bond of their children drew Jim and Martha to decide that things would be easier if they stayed together, watched after each other, and that was that.

She didn't even know where the three were, but was assured that they were safe. For his part, Ryan refused to be moved, but urged Jenny to go. His wife would not go though, not wanting to leave her husband's side. Although it seemed to cause a rift between them for awhile, things seemed to calm down as they completely stepped away from everything related to Kate Beckett. Further steps were taken to ensure security when the detective was transferred back to the 14th temporarily. As far as the Dragon knew, the police had absolutely nothing left to do with any investigation into Beckett's mother's murder.

As far as the public was concerned, Kate Beckett finally quit her job and what many saw as the inevitable had finally happened. She and Richard Castle ran away together. The media had a field day with it, targeting his mother and daughter, wondering how the man could simply leave them. It was scandle material splashed across page six for weeks, "Famous Author Elopes With the Real Nikki Heat."

Soon, when Alexis and Martha dissappeared too, rumors of them joining the newlywed couple wherever they were hiding were spread. Both Lanie and Esposito were sure to let several more rumors slip, including their nuptuals and a secret love nest somewhere in the South of France. They didn't know if it did any good, but figured it wouldn't hurt to have some sort of cover story.

For her safety, Lanie agreed to stay with Esposito until things cleared out. However, no threats were made against her and she wasn't an active investigator. The two didn't seem to mind though, as it seemed close living quarters brought more than one couple together that summer.

Gates sighed to herself, wondering about Castle and Beckett once again. They were left out there, wherever they were, much longer than she knew they'd anticipated and she hoped that they were ok. Although they never talked specifics, during the few conversations with Shaw she'd been reassured that they were set for awhile.

As she merged her car onto the freeway and headed in the direction of her suburban home, she reflected further on life in the city. The summer heat had done nothing good for the crime rate, driving it through the roof as it usually did. Further, traffic was horrible. Her being down not just one, but two of her best detectives, not to mention the writer who did wonderful things for her closure rate, but horrible things to her nerves.

Once it was decided that Gates needed a vacation, one more loose end needed to be tied up. When it became apparent that all investigation needed to be taken out of the hands of the NYPD, Shaw decided that he was in prime position for her utilize for the case. Therefore, Esposito's suspension became a termination, as it was arranged for him to "be fired" from the NYPD and do other "consulting" work.

After his departure she was kept in the dark for the most part, and she understood it was for her own protection. What she had been told was that nobody in the force was to be trusted, as the reach of this bastard, whoever he was, was extensive. She also knew that the files she'd received anonomyously, days after they got Castle and Beckett to safety, did provide useful leads and that Shaw was narrowing in on the Son of a Bitch, and all of his high-powered henchmen.

She was filled with a sense of satisfaction in knowing that the small group, working outside of the force and very discretely, seemed to be undetected. As she pulled into her driveway she wondered to herself how much longer they could go on before something had to give. As she approached her front door and inserted the key in the lock, she found it open.

It appeared that she was able to answer her own question as she looked over her ransacked home. It was complete and utter chaos and as she looked around she surveyed the extensive damage. In that moment she was filled with panic. Retrieving her gun from it's holster, she quickly made her way towards her office and to the wall safe.

She stared in horror as she beheld the opened vault, which was supposed to be secure. Her blood ran cold as she pulled out her phone and called Special Agent Jordan Shaw. Not only were the partners compromised, but there was no way to tell how long they'd been in danger.

* * *

Javier Esposito paced the floor, his fists balled as he tried to control the anxiety within him. Knowing they were compromised was one thing, knowing that they could have been attacked weeks ago was completely another matter and it made him shake with a mixture of rage and fear. When he'd been informed that they'd been found, he'd demanded that they rush to their aid as soon as possible.

Unfortionately, there was little doubt as to who their mole was. As the previous week one of their own had been found dead, signs of torture evident. Although the murder was investigated, they came only to dead ends. Gates could offer little insight without giving their investigation away, as only she, her boss and Esposito were aware of their activities. The only other member of the agency who knew that coordinates were stored safely at Gates' home was now dead.

Shaw agreed, but urged the detective to wait on rescuing his friends. Afterall, she was waiting on a very important call. It was a call that had the potential to bring an end to the reign of a certain New York City police commissioner, and she wasn't about to let it go. The evidence against Commissioner Joseph Kelly was insurmountable, and from him the money trail was endless. Most importantly, cracking the commissioner offered them the chance to nail the bastard behind the whole thing.

When Gates had turned over the files they started slowly, becoming aware of just how pervasive the web they were cautiously navigating was. They quickly identified not one, but four different police Captains, from precincts throughout the city. From there they were able to nail an assortment of detectives, officers, mob ties and drug dealers, as well as low-life criminals. However, despite the damning evidence against the individuals they'd identified, it was obvious that they were answering to a higher power. Unwilling to tip their hand, they continued to follow the paper trail.

Then, with a single bank transfer record, they finally cracked the case wide open. Shaw discovered her needle in the haystack of files, a decades-old bank account number from Roy Montgomery, buried within an array of financial information, they were able to identify a single transfer of funds that unraveled the intricate system.

Shaw paced the floor, waiting for the phone to ring as her boss, Assistant Directior John Bates, informed his boss of the damning evidence against the commissioner. If they could get him, the second in command, to crack and turn, they would have a shot at taking down the Dragon, New York State Senator Thomas Berkley.

They were told to proceed with caution, only with a confession, an implication of Berkley, and an agreement to testify from the commissioner would the evidence go to the Attorney General. However, if they could get him to testify, a very public grand jury indightment would be in the senator's future. The files, plus a personal testimony would be damning enough to watch the Dragon pay for his crimes.

* * *

Warrant in hand, they moved fast, taking the commissioner into custody. Esposito looked on as Shaw grilled the man, urging him to crack. They presented him their evidence, identified the chief's, the officers, the criminals that all tied to him.

They identified the long list of individuals that would be traced to him and made it abundantly clear that if he didn't give his boss' name over, he would be charged and tried for the countless murders. Not only murders that he'd committed, or had seen to arranging, but to the ones that his boss was responsible for.

It took hours, but it was obvious that the evidence was extremely damning to the man. Therefore, after some heavy negotiating, and an agreement to take the death penalty off the table in exchange for life in prison if he gave them the name, the commissioner caved. He admitted that he'd been working for the senator for years.

He'd admitted that he'd been ordered to handle the dirty work: hiring killers, monitoring finances, blackmailing politicians, overseeing and managing drug trafficking to name a few. Crimes against the senator went so far as to include human trafficking. Countless victims, all in the name of money and power. Names, many names were provided, including lists of hired killers that had been employed. Esposito recognized Cole Maddox as one of those names immediately.

The commissioner's taped confession, the countless names indicated, the damning money trail, all of it was taken from the hands of Assistant Director Bates, to the hands of FBI director David Carter. At 10pm that evening, Attorney General Stephen Crawford was awakened at his home, the FBI standing at his doorstep with some very compelling information. By 11pm the president was briefed on the situation and warned of the media storm that would break by morning, and before midnight Senator Berkley was brought into custody.

* * *

Finally satisfied that it was over, that safety was finally ensured as the City of New York moved to arrest a record number of officials in one of the biggest scandals in history, Shaw turned to Esposito and nodded.

"Let's try to bring them home." Getting on the road as quickly as possible, they made their way upstate; desperately hoping that their friends were still alive.

* * *

**I do hope that this satisfied _some_ of your questions. ;) My ridiculous flow chart of bad guys versus good guys is pretty funny. Also, Wikipedia helped me map a chain of command that could grill a fictional Senator. Fake politicians/bad guys beware of the flow chart :) More will be explored from the perspectives of other characters, such as those in witness protection, down the road. Oh, and this is SO not over :) **


	12. Chapter 12

They were fighting again. Rick Castle couldn't wrap his brain around why it always seemed to be one of the two extremes with them. They were loving or they were fighting. When they loved, they loved hard; and when they fought, they fought hard. Regardless, he was now secure in the fact that no matter what disagreements they were having, their love was constant. He loved her and she loved him. He supposed it would just be in their nature to fight, they were volatile.

He couldn't really blame Beckett for being angry with him over this, any woman would have gone ballistic. At least in his experience, any woman would have lost it if he'd told them what he said to Kate. Still, he couldn't bring himself to regret it and he wasn't at all convinced that he wasn't right. The problem was that Kate was also convinced she was right. Thus, the couple seemed to be at an impasse.

Before he brought the conversation up to her, he braced himself for her wrath; absolute in his need to address the issue as soon as possible. He'd been struggling over the past two weeks, watching her closely, observing her while she bathed, gauging her moods and gathering evidence. It didn't occur to him to risk his well-being against the armed, former detective unless he was more certain.

However, after the incident with the underground shelter, the collapse that could have taken her life, he was no longer able to keep things to himself. So, earlier on that late August afternoon, Rick tentatively approached Kate and, taking a deep breath, initiated the conversation.

"Kate." He spoke softly and somewhat shyly. "Kate, I need to talk to you about something."

She looked up to his face, slightly confused as to why he seemed to be so hesitant with her at the moment. _Surely this can't be about the sex last week_, she thought to herself, _I thought we worked that out. _She knew he felt guilty about the fact that they'd lost control in the lake, especially because he wasn't able to pull out of her before releasing himself. Still, she'd been a willing participant and she couldn't allow him, wouldn't allow him to incur the blame for their mistake.

"What's up Castle?" She responded to him, watching his body language carefully.

She watched him as he fidgeted with the dirt on the ground, using his toes to map trails and make an assortment of shapes.

"Kate, I wanted to talk to you about what happened last week."

"Look Castle," Kate began, "I already said that we both lost control. You know I love you, and I think its pretty obvious that I _more _than enjoy sex with you." She smiled mischievously at him.

He smiled at her attempt to lighten his mood, but it didn't reach his eyes. Realization began to dawn on Beckett that whatever he was about to tell her, it was serious. She also gathered that she wouldn't like it, as his behavior reminded her a bit of how he acted right before he'd admitted to making a deal for her life. The smile fell from her face and her heart sped up as she stilled to listen to him.

"Kate. We did lose control, and I was very, _very_ upset by the prospect of your having been in that room, having potentially been hurt or killed when the room caved." He hesitated before he continued, "but I haven't told you part of the reason why I was so upset Kate."

She arched an eyebrow at him, completely at a loss for where he was going with this. "Kate, I've noticed differences about you lately." He didn't make eye contact.

"I've been watching you, and I know you've noticed it." Kate nodded, thinking back to how intensely he'd been staring at her while she bathed, how quietly he'd studied her movements. She'd figured it was because of the sexual tension.

"Castle, what's your point? What are you trying to tell me?" She asked him, becoming impatient for him to get to his point.

He took a breath and continued, "Kate I know we've been avoiding sex because we don't want to be unprotected. I know that we don't want to risk it, but have you considered that avoiding sex at this point may be useless?"

She wrinkled her brow at him, struggling to follow his logic. _Why would he think avoiding unprotected sex out here was pointless? _She reasoned.

"Castle, how could you say it's pointless?" She began.

"First, you and I haven't been together for that long, at least not in this capacity." She began to list the many reasons why they shouldn't get pregnant on her fingers as she spoke.

"Second, we haven't talked about the prospect about us being parents, having a baby together. So why would you not want to avoid that?" _What, did he have a vasectomy and not tell me?_ She wondered. _No way, if there wasn't a danger of my getting pregnant we'd be having sex all the time. He also would have told me months ago when I was scared I was pregnant. What the hell?_ She worked through her confusion as she continued to speak.

"Third, Castle, and I think very importantly. Why the hell would we risk my getting pregnant in the middle of nowhere? We're stuck here, who would deliver it, huh? You?" She was definitely getting angry at him.

"No. Kate, you don't understand what I'm saying here." Castle went from nervous to terrified as he listened to reasons why they shouldn't have a baby together. _This is not going well and she doesn't even get my point yet. _

"I'm saying that taking precautions may be pointless." He tried once again to be indirect so he didn't have to say it.

"What the hell Castle? Why would you say that?" _Unless he thinks that…Oh, no way!_ Things began to click for Beckett.

"Castle, are you trying to tell me you think I'm pregnant?" She blurted out to him incredulously.

He just stared at her, his expression confirming her evaluation of the situation. She was floored. "You honestly think…" She gave a dry laugh to herself for a moment before fixing a glare right at him.

"You HONESTLY think I'M PREGNANT and I didn't know about it? THAT I DIDN'T KNOW AND YOU DID?" She shook her head at him.

He found his words then, going on the defensive, but not yelling. "Just think about it Kate, You're not eating breakfast because you're not feeling great. You're moods are unstable, to say the least. I can see differences, can feel differences…" She interrupted him.

"What differences do you see?" She challenged him.

He looked at her helplessly, " Kate. You. Your chest…your…they are rounder and bigger."

She shook her head, "You're crazy."

"Kate, just answer this. I haven't seen you have a single period since your last scare. How long has it been?" She said nothing. He had here there. She was over six weeks late, but truly believed that her shift off of her birth control was responsible. It was nearly impossible to predict her periods for the first three or four months after she switched birth control, yet alone completely go off the hormones.

She was quiet for a moment and he misjudged her silence as her agreeing with the possibility. Moving closer to her, he gently spoke, "I'm just telling you what I've noticed about you, as I've been with you every day Kate. That's why I was so upset when you went down into that shelter. The thought that you could have been hurt or killed…and if you were…" He didn't finish, but moved to rest his hand on her lower abdomen, noting that although she'd lost weight, her breasts had grown and her abdomen, although not visibly different, felt slightly rounded.

The feeling of his palm, flat on her abdomen overwhelmed her, causing tears to burn behind her closed eyes. "Damnit, Castle. NO!" She yelled at him and walked away.

* * *

Kate sat against the woodshed and wiped the tears from her eyes. She'd prayed that he wouldn't follow her. She needed space from him, especially now that she was angry, embarrassed and scared as hell. She felt completely out of control because she couldn't produce any evidence to shoot him down.

Kate kneaded her breasts. _How could I not have noticed that they're bigger? Are they bigger? Now I don't know if they're bigger or if I'm imagining it. Damn him._ She cried harder. Her hands slipped down to her lower stomach as she rested her back against the structure of the shed, feeling the area as if it could confirm or deny what she was afraid of.

Not only did she feel out of control, but she couldn't recall feeling so embarrassed in her life. _What if I am pregnant, and Castle had to point it out? What the hell is wrong with me? _She tried to think back to when she'd been with him last, before their tryst in the lake. _Was it the night I told him I loved him? Was it before that? _She couldn't make sense of things.

Suddenly, she shook her head violently. _No_, she thought to herself. _He's getting inside my head. Of course I'm not pregnant. I would know. I wouldn't miss the signs. Damn him. _She wiped her face again and stood, making her way back to the lake.

There, she approached him once more and firmly spoke.

"If I were pregnant, I would know Castle. I WOULD KNOW. This is MY body. MINE." He simply looked down, refusing to argue any longer. He knew Kate well enough to know that there was no arguing when she was in a state like the one she was in now.

"I'm going to try to catch dinner." He spoke to her, somewhat defeated in his tone.

With that, Castle grabbed the fishing pole and walked away from her. The fact of the matter was that she ether was pregnant or she wasn't. Time would answer all of their questions and for the sake of any child that may or may not exist in this place, he hoped she was right.

He spent hours at the lake, lost in his thoughts as he waited for something to bite. _I love her more than any other woman I've ever known. I would do anything for her and I couldn't live without her. I crave her, but damn she's frustrating. _He was drawn from his thoughts by her urgent scream.

"Castle!" She shouted, "CASTLE!" the second was even louder. He didn't think as he simply let the fishing pole drop to the water as he made his way down the stream to where Kate was. His heart raced in his chest as he felt the stream splashing beneath his feet.

"Kate!" He screamed to her. "I'm coming Kate." In the next moment he made his way through the trees that separated his fishing spot from their campsite. When he spotted her he froze in his tracks. There, standing next to Kate, was Special Agent Jordan Shaw and Detective Javier Esposito.

* * *

**A/N: Yay for the return to civilization. This story is nearing its end, but there are still some twists in the road.**


	13. Chapter 13

**I'm glad you're glad on the pace of updates. :) When I write, sometimes it flows and this is what happens!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own them. I wish I did. It would be fun :) **

* * *

They were silent in the back seat of the vehicle for the first time in hours. It all seemed so surreal to them, being on their way back to civilization. When Jordan initially arrived she was stunned. The cabin was in ruins and as they drove up, both she and Esposito couldn't help but think the worst. However, they decided to get out and check around the property just in case.

It wasn't long before they were greeted by a very different looking Kate Beckett. Her skin was darker, her hair slightly lighter due to the sun, and she looked quite thin. Esposito was reminded of the Kate Beckett he'd encountered after her shooting recovery when he saw her thin frame.

Aside from those differences they were also taken aback that she was, bare-foot, holding a gun on them and wearing a dress. It certainly was not a sight they were accustomed to seeing. Once Kate saw that she was safe she lowered the weapon, wearing a wide grin on her face. After all their time alone, help had finally arrived.

She explained everything to them, from the trap door to the shelter, and the tunnel to the springs. She recounted life after the fire, expressing relief for their presence due to their shortage of food. She led them quickly to the camp site and called for Castle, who ran back swiftly. When he'd emerged from the trees, he looked like he'd seen a ghost.

Soon they were on their way back to civilization, full of questions. The most immediate question was regarding the safety of their loved ones. Shaw informed them that Gates was arranging for the U.S. Marshalls to release their families. They would be flying to Albany and meeting them in the morning.

Shaw also informed both partners about the work they'd accomplished. They were amazed by how deep the corruption ran, and how high it went. Beckett was also glad to know that none other than the Attorney General of the United States would make the man responsible for her mother's death pay.

It was virtually certain that there would be a trial, she would have the choice to stare into his eyes and let him know that he didn't win. Kate Beckett knew that the moment would be damned good. However, she also knew that no amount of prosecution, no amount of life sentences or death penalties would ever bring her mother back to her.

The senator's role bothered her, but the commissioner's involvement ate at her. She met him. She'd interacted with him. He'd played poker with Castle. She looked to him in the moments following the reveal and when she saw him swallow back the lump in his throat she grabbed his hand. With her gentile squeeze she conveyed to him that his ties were not a reflection on Castle. He smiled at her, thankful for her presence through everything and so very glad to be by her side when she finally had the answers she'd been seeking.

Finally, they told her that they had a list of the hired hit men, and that by now Cole Maddox was certainly behind bars. It was another reunion that Beckett would relish in. For his part, Castle was eager to meet the bastard too. He was going down with the rest of them, and the retribution would be so well-deserved.

Esposito caught them both up on all of the changes that had taken place, including Ryan's new assignment and his leaving the force. They all had no doubt that he would be reinstated once things settled down. He'd also told her that he would wager on Kate having a job too. The thought seemed absurd, and Kate was struck by just how much had changed over the past months.

* * *

Late in the evening they arrived in Albany. Four rooms were checked out, giving each individual their own space and privacy. A trip to the department store was once again taken, reminding both Castle and Beckett how strange these months had been. Their first trip through the aisles seemed like a lifetime ago now.

They were thrilled and amazed when they filled their baskets. They picked up fresh clothing, shampoo and conditioner, plus all of the other essentials that they'd done without for such a long time. They also went to dinner, hitting a buffet and eating foods that they'd gone without for months. They were highly contented before returning to the hotel.

At one point, Kate briefly wondered to herself if hotels kept track of water bills by room number. She was sure that if they did, she'd be raising quite a debt. Yet she was in heaven and she couldn't bring herself to care. Fluffy towels and washcloths made the experience even better. As she felt the warm water massage her scalp and slide down her back she let out a long and contented sigh. _They can get me from the shower in the morning_, she figured.

Once she was clean, she stepped out and toweled off; only to plug the drain and fill the tub once again. Kate had purposely gotten a body wash to cleanse with, knowing that it could double as bubble bath. That is exactly what it did as she settled right back into the tub she'd just gotten out of. Another contented smile crossed her face as she massaged her skin.

* * *

Richard Castle had done pretty much the same thing, although he did not opt for the bath. He did spend an unnecessary amount of time in the shower, bathing, rinsing and bathing again until he felt clean. Once he was dry, he placed a thick and comfortable pair of socks onto his feet, enjoying the way the extra padding felt as he stepped around the room.

The air conditioning was turned up, and the mini bar was utilized, as he once again took advantage of the amenities he'd done without for such a long period of time. He stretched himself out on the bed and turned on the television, ready to relax and do something that he'd longed to do for months.

The Albany news was alive with the story of the corruption that he'd been hiding from, updates on the most recent men who had been charged. He watched footage of a statement from the senator and his defense attorney, along with one from the Attorney General. Things were hot in New York City and on Capital Hill, as the scandal set the nation ablaze.

Even as he watched, his mind wandered to Kate. She had her own room, and they hadn't exactly been on best terms before they were rescued. He wasn't sure whether he should give her space or go to her, but being apart was starting to get to him. He couldn't help the anxiety levels that rose when she was out of the room, when he couldn't see her for long periods.

The television helped to distract him from the thought of sleeping without her by his side for the first time since May, and he wasn't sure if he would even bother trying to sleep. If he avoided it altogether, he wouldn't need to try and fail to cope with being in bed without her.

It was nearly 11pm when he heard the soft knock on his door. He found it funny that he immediately knew it was her, as if he could sense that her energy had entered his orbit. He moved to the door and opened it, resting his gaze upon her face. With an unsure expression she simply stated,

"I don't know how to sleep without you Castle." He nodded and opened his door further, allowing her to enter the room. After he shifted the lock back into place he turned again, pulling her into his arms. Both let out a sigh as they made contact, he in his fluffy white bathrobe and she in hers. He inhaled her now scented hair, which had been blow-dried, and kissed her forehead.

He led her to sit on the bed next to him for a moment, as he could tell she had something on her mind.

"I'm sorry I blew up at you earlier. You had a real concern and I was just so freaked out by the prospect of being pregnant in the middle of nowhere. I know I overreacted." She spoke, taking his hand into her own. He nodded and squeezed her hand as they continued to sit at the edge of the bed.

"Kate?" He began. "I couldn't ignore it and you deserved the truth about what I was feeling." He explained.

"I know Castle." She looked him in the eye, conveying to him that she owned her emotional outburst.

"I need to ask you to do me a favor." He pressed her.

"What is it?" She responded.

He simply got up and moved to the hotel room desk where, next to the telephone and the lamp, was a small bag. He carried it back to her and pulled out a rectangular box. "Kate, please forgive me, but would you just please humor me?"

She took the box from his hand, reading the "First Response" on the cover and understanding what he was asking her to do. She looked down at it for a moment, lost in her own thoughts. She felt like it was a moment of truth for her.

She didn't know if she could handle it, but at least they were back in civilization now. Even if she wanted to tell him no, to reinforce that it was _her_ body, if she was pregnant then it was _their _baby, and he had the right to know; so she nodded her assent to him.

* * *

Kate set the stick on the bathroom counter and exited the bathroom, waiting 10 minutes for the results. She sat back on the bed next to Castle and they watched CNN together, keeping track of the time on the television. She couldn't bring herself to find words and neither could she. It was overwhelming.

However, in lieu of words, Castle pulled her close to his side and wrapped his arms protectively around her. Planting a series of kisses on her head, he squeezed her body a little tighter as she moved to wrap her arms around his torso and bury her face in his neck.

She used the calming influence of his smell, his delicious smell, to comfort her and to slow her heart as the remaining minutes wore on. Finally, before she could get up and walk to the bathroom, he brought his head lower and drew his lips to her ear, whispering,

"No matter what it is Kate. No matter what happens… Always." He said to her.

They both knew that given the weight of the moment, even an "I love you" didn't convey the level of dedication, commitment and adoration between them. That was only communicated in their language. So, in the language of smiles and lingering stares, of soft caresses to hands and fingers on the small of her back, of coffees and _until tomorrows_, he vowed to her that they would once again, be in it together.

No matter what. _Always._

Beckett stood from the bed and entered into the bathroom. She looked calmly at the stick in her hand and let out a deep breath. She turned back to Castle and walked towards him, handing him the stick before she walked away.

Beckett found her side of the bed, crawled under the sheets and scooted against him; though remaining facing the wall. He observed her behavior before finally taking a deep breath and looking down at the stick for himself.

"Positive."

* * *

**When I started this story, the last paragraph of the last chapter was the very first thing I wrote; waiting through another cancelled flight at LAX. All else is leading to that place, especially including this chapter. :) **


	14. Chapter 14

**Hi all. I've got one more especially intense day of work this week, which is why update is late. I'll be back on this soon though! Here is the next chapter! **

* * *

"Positive."

He read the results again. She was pregnant. He was right and she was, in fact, carrying his child. A mixture of emotions welled within him. On one hand he was terrified, Kate had a valid point when she'd yelled at him earlier. They were really new at being in a relationship with one another. She also had a valid point in that having a baby in the middle of nowhere would have been beyond bad. It could have been dangerous to her health. Still, they were back in civilization now and things were going to change.

He looked at her form, buried beneath the hotel bed comforter as she lay on her side with her face away from him. He couldn't imagine what she was feeling, and it worried him even more. What if she didn't want to have a family with him? At one point she said that she would, but that was in a hypothetical future and neither knew if it would come to pass. Now that future was here, in a single word "positive" on a stick he held.

Despite his misgivings, he couldn't help but feel incredibly moved by the thought of Kate Beckett carrying his child. He'd been moved to do things for her that he wouldn't have dreamed of doing in the past, he'd devoted himself to her for such a long time in the futile hope that one day she might return his feelings. Now they were here, and she did, and they created a life together.

He couldn't control the feelings of love that welled up within him. He wanted to hold her close, to love her, to show her how committed he was to her and to them. He wanted to show her how dedicated he would be to her and to their baby. More than any of those things, he needed to know she was alright.

He set the test on the bedside table and moved closer to where her still form was resting. He could tell she wasn't sleeping by the pace of her breathing, as well as by the way she fisted the pillowcase her head was rested on. He gently touched her arm, laying his warm palm there and softly grasping with his fingers.

"Kate." He whispered to her, "Kate. Please talk to me." He waited for her to respond.

At first she was silent, drawing a breath as she tried to detangle the thoughts in her head. While Castle had been coming to terms with the news, she'd been struggling to do the same. Her internal conflict was much similar too, although there was a stark contrast between the guilt and fear she felt, which were coexisting with strong feelings of love and gratitude within her.

She was somewhat sickened by the knowledge that she'd failed to prevent the pregnancy. She always knew that she wanted a family, one day. She was also keenly aware of the fact that she wasn't getting younger, even if she did have several years ahead of her. Still, she couldn't stop the _what if's_ from entering into her consciousness. _What if they'd never come for us? What if there had been a major problem with the baby? _Even the most common of problems treated in civilization today could have resulted in tragedy in the middle of nowhere. _We didn't even have adequate shelter._ She continued to berate herself.

She also felt overwhelmed with the prospect of becoming a parent with Castle. The first time she saw him really interacting with Alexis, part of Kate knew that he was the one she wanted. Years before she was ready to admit more to herself, she couldn't deny the fact that she would love for Rick to be the father of her children. Still, she'd been around long enough to see otherwise functional couples, who were far more established than they were, fall apart under the stress of parenthood.

She wondered if a relationship as new and as vulnerable as theirs would stand a chance once a baby was added to the equation. Despite this, despite all of it, Kate also felt what she could only describe as _magic_. She was having a baby, she was pregnant with Castle's child. They were now bonded in love through the creation of this little life. Her emotions were overwhelming, and she found that when he called out to her, she had no words to respond with.

"Kate, please." He whispered again, a soft urgency in his voice. The feel of his warm hand on her arm helped to ground her. As always, he provided her with the anchor she needed. Taking a deep breath, she answered him.

"You were right and I was wrong." She quietly admitted, referring to their argument as to whether or not she was actually pregnant.

"Kate, that doesn't matter. It was never about proving a point. Not with this, never with something like this." He assured her as he squeezed her arm.

"I just…" She struggled to find the words, "I just wish that I…that we…that things were different." She admitted.

"How so?" He questioned her.

"We had one night Castle. One night and then we were hidden away, just the two of us, for months. We existed in our own little world where there was nobody else. I knew it was going to be an adjustment if…when…we returned to normal life, but…" She hesitated.

"Kate, just say it." Rick urged her.

She finally turned to face him, coming to rest on her back as she met his gaze. "But I didn't think that I would be coming back pregnant Rick. I didn't think that a baby was going to be a part of all of this so soon, so early."

"Of all of _what_ Kate? Of us? Are you telling me you don't want this baby?" For the first time, the thought that she might chose to not have the child entered his mind. The prospect terrified him.

"No, Castle. I'm not saying that. I want this baby. I want our baby." She reached her hand and caressed his jaw, swallowing back her emotions as tears welled in her eyes. "What I'm saying is that we, us…you and I, are very different. What happens when you go back to your book parties, and fame and page six Castle?"

"Beckett, you knew fame was a part of my life before we left. You've known that for awhile. You knew that when you showed up at my door in the pouring rain, convincing me that I was all you wanted."

Kate nodded to him. "You are all I want Castle. I know you love me, and I love you. I just worry that it's too soon to saddle you, and your family with a baby."

"To saddle Kate? I want this baby. I want you. My family will want both of you." A tear slipped down her face, which he moved to wipe away with his thumb.

"So what? Are you suggesting we go back to reality, to all of our friends and family, who don't even know we're together by the way, and tell them we're pregnant?" She asked him, at least reassured to know that he was as invested as she'd hoped he would be.

"No." He began, earning him a quizzical look from Kate. "We tell them that we're together, you're moving in, we're getting married and there's a baby on the way." She let out a laugh.

"Oh, is that what we do?" She shot back at him.

"It sounded good to me." He retorted.

"Who says I move to the loft? Why don't you come to my apartment?" He looked at her in disbelief, but was fully prepared to address her question. However, she broke into laughter before he could.

"Like my apartment is going to be baby-appropriate." She spoke. Her face grew serious as she said it and she looked once more at Castle.

"We're having a baby." She related the gravity of the situation to him.

"Yes. We are." He confirmed, lightly brushing his fingers across her jaw, the sides of her face, behind her ears and down her neck.

"God, you're beautiful." He whispered, moving his fingers across her chest and towards the part in the robe she was wearing.

Kate simply watched him, amazed by the intensity in his eyes and the concentration on his face as he moved his hand to slowly part the robe she was wearing. He took a moment to peel back the sheets on the bed, granting him complete access to her, before he continued his task.

She inhaled deeply as he returned his fingers to where they'd left her body, just below her scar. Softly, he touched with an almost feather light caress, as his hand descended. The robe parted just enough to reveal a strip of her bare skin, bringing him down her torso and to her belly button. There he was met with the tie, where the fabric joined to keep the garment in place.

He looked back to her, causing her to tremble at the dark, smoldering intensity in his stare. As he slowly undid the tie, pushing the separate pieces of the sash to the side, he spoke in a deep, soothing tone.

"I meant it Kate." She wasn't sure what he was talking about and the confusion on her face communicated that to him.

"I meant it when I told you that I wanted to marry you. I want to marry you, Kate." He clarified, the burning intensity still in his eyes.

"I know." She whispered, offering a smile to signify that she wanted the same.

He looked back down to where he'd just opened her robe, slowly pushing it open. He moved at a pace that was so slow, so languid, that it caused Kate's body to electrify. She could feel herself reacting to the feel of the material caressing her skin as she resisted the urge to pull him down to her.

With both hands he stroked back up her body, stopping at her breasts to push the material completely off of her and fall open at her arms. He then moved lower to force the rest of the robe to follow suit, unwrapping her body like a present.

She couldn't recall being as turned on as she was in that moment, and he'd barely touched her. Her response was completely tied in the way he looked at her, eyes roaming her body as if his gaze could penetrate her completely. He stilled for a moment, simply looking at her body as if he were an explorer and she was some foreign land waiting for him to discover. Then he slowly ran the back of his hand from her chest down to her stomach, taking care to graze one nipple on the way down and the other when he moved back upwards.

He then took his fingers and ran them lightly across her abdomen, taking care to trace around what he thought would become swollen over the next weeks and months. Finally, he spoke again.

"Do you know how sexy it is Kate?" His soft, smooth voice alone filled her with a need to touch herself, but she resisted. "Do you know how sexy it is to know that you're carrying my child?" She swallowed then, becoming overwhelmed by the way he was looking at her.

"Do you know how much it turns me on to know that we did this?" As he finished his last sentence he moved his hand down to her center and parted her.

She gasped and let out a slow moan as he slowly moved his fingers down and then back up, resting briefly on the bundle of nerves there. She knew that he could immediately tell how ready for him she was. Still, she let him continue, grasping the sheets instead of his body.

He continued his slow torture as he slid his hand away from where she so desperately wanted it to remain, instead coming to rest it on her breast. There he spread his hand and covered her completely with his palm.

"I love how you've already changed." He spoke again, following his words with his other hand, which came to rest completely on her other full breast. He cupped her, shifting his hand around to demonstrate how full her breasts had become recently, before finally moving to allow his mouth to come into contact with her tender flesh.

She arched her back up, overcome by the sensation he created within her, as he continued his task of kissing, licking, softly biting and gently sucking her sensitized flesh. She still managed to leave him in control, keeping her fingers intertwined with the sheets around her as she reveled in the sensations he was creating within her.

However, all hope of control was lost within moments when he moved his head lower, coming to rest at her center as he used his hands to part her legs. He took a moment to look up at her, making eye contact once more as he said,

"Do you know how sexy it is that I can do this to you? That I can, and nobody else Kate?" He asserted before taking her swollen flesh into his mouth and causing an immediate scream from her. He rested both hands on her hips firmly and pushed her back down into the mattress as the used his mouth to touch her, to taste her and to make her tremble.

Her hands left the bed and found residence in his hair as he continued his slow ministrations, causing her brain to fragment as he brought her closer and closer to the edge before allowing her to let go. Her screams were loud as she came off of the bed once more, muscles going rigid and legs trembling as release finally shot through her.

He moved back then and simply watched her as she came down from her high. After a few moments she was up, removing the robe from her arms and letting it fall from her back. She quickly moved to undo his identical garment, never averting her gaze from his as the clothing fell from his body as well. Beckett scooted herself around him so that she was now lower on the bed than he was, and urged him to move up towards the pillows.

He did so quickly, but when he realized her intent to pleasure him, he moved to grasp her arms and pull her up to where he was. "But I want to taste you." She objected, letting him know that she was ok with returning the favor.

"I can't. Not now. I won't last Kate." She nodded to him and urged him to sit as she moved to straddle him. She kissed him then, firmly and passionately as she positioned him at her entrance and sunk herself completely onto him. Both let out heavy sighs of contentment, as he moved to encircle her with his arms and she ran her hands through his hair.

What started out slowly built very fast, as caresses turned to grasps, as moans turned to grunts and to screams, and finally, as rhythm was lost between them. He was able to hold out long enough to send her over the edge once more, before allowing himself release within her walls.

Their foreheads touched as they leaned into one another, coming down from their collective high together. "I love you." She whispered into his ear, gently running her fingers through his hair once again, "and I love this",

She moved to lace her fingers with his before planting both of their hands low on her abdomen, signifying to him her acceptance of what was to come. He kissed her gently, moved by the moment shared between them. They remained like that for a minute longer, before finally shifting onto the bed, as he slid himself out of her and pulled her with him under the covers.

"Tomorrow we see our family." He spoke to her, knowing that Alexis and Martha would be arriving with Jim. She liked the sound of him referring to them all as a collective family, smiling to herself as she pulled his arms around her and laced their fingers once more.

"There's a lot to tell them." Kate spoke.

"Yes there is." He agreed before continuing, "How about we handle it one thing at a time?"

"Good idea Rick. We can take it as it comes." He kissed her neck and nodded into her shoulder.

"One thing at a time, starting with us being together." He agreed.

He snuggled further into her back, feeling her sigh of contentment as they both drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.


	15. Chapter 15

Light was beaming through the window as Rick came to consciousness. For a moment, he was confused. It had been such a long time since he'd been in a bed, and he was cool and comfortable. It a moment for him to remember that he was actually in a hotel room with Kate. He looked down to her sleeping form, her bare back exposed to the air as part of her chest fell across his own. Her arm rested across him possessively, and one of her legs was thrown across his hip and entangled in his own legs.

They began to sleep side by side, gradually getting closer and sometimes spooning as the summer passed. However, the longer they found themselves stranded, the closer and the more entwined they became, both physically and emotionally. Their current position was becoming more and more common, Beckett seeking his body out while she slept, drawing him as close to her as possible.

The closeness of her body comforted him, warmed him and secured him in her, in them. He looked at the peaceful expression on her face, noting the way her hair sprawled out around her, parts coming to rest on him as well. It was moments like this when he allowed himself to think of the beautiful absurdity of all the past year had brought. From partners to lovers, to something so much much more. From time to time, he still felt the desire to pinch himself, not quite believing that she was with him.

She inhaled deeply and let out a contented sigh, her body shifting subtly with each intake of breath. He admired the smooth skin of her back, which was much more sun-kissed and followed a path down until her sheet-covered hips and backside rose. He sincerely wasn't sure what he would do if he ever had to grow accustomed to her presence not in his bed, she'd become as natural, and as necessary to him as breathing.

Castle turned his head to glance at the clock. It was 7:15 and he knew that everyone would be arriving around 8:30 that morning. Taking one last look, and planting a kiss on her head, he carefully removed himself from under her and slid out of bed. He didn't see the point of waking her yet, and figured that the more rest she got the better.

He made his way around the room, grabbing his cloths for the day along with the toiletries that he would need in order to shower and shave. However, before he made his way to the bathroom, he heard a soft knock at the door. He opened it to find Jordan Shaw smiling at him.

"Good morning Castle. I was actually looking for Kate and when she didn't respond in her own room I took a leap of logic." She explained her presence.

He smiled politely and somewhat shyly. He knew that both Shaw and Gates had no doubts about the status of their relationship, but he wasn't sure if they'd told anyone else. Further, neither was used to sharing their new found couple status with anyone yet. He nodded to the agent and confirmed that Kate was, in fact, with him.

"We're just not used to being apart anymore." He explained.

"Sure." Jordan replied, making him feel like she thought their relationship was the most natural thing. It put him at ease.

"I just wanted to make sure that the two of you were awake, and I wanted to give her a heads up about the media frenzy that the pair of you would be walking into when we return to the city." She explained to him.

"Rick?" Both Shaw and Castle's attention turned to Kate's sleepy voice as she called for him.

"Hey. Shaw's here Beckett." He informed her immediately, giving her the heads up that she might not want to step out of bed with nothing on. Luckily, the door did not offer a direct view of the bed, giving Kate a chance to throw her robe back on before joining them.

"Shaw was telling us that we're going to be swimming into shark-infested waters when we get back to the city. The media is on a feeding frenzy." Castle gently informed her, gauging her reaction to the news. He knew that the attention was going to be a component of their relationship that would require some time and adjustment. However, he'd hoped that they would at least be able to settle in first. It appeared that his wish would not be granted.

Shaw caught them up on the coverage of their disappearance, starting from rumors of their eloping to the secret villa in the south of France. Now that they were returning, with Beckett very much _not _his wife, questions were bound to surface. Shaw supposed that it wouldn't be too long before someone put the pieces together, considering Beckett's shooting and the murder of her mother were both tied to the political drama on everyone's mind.

Beckett took the information in, inhaling deeply and nodding her head. She demonstrated that she was in a place of piece about it and Shaw was very surprised, and slightly thrown by Kate's calm mannerisms. However, Castle knew that she was using this as an opportunity to demonstrate her love for him. She was going to stand tall, take his hand, figuratively and even possibly literally, and she was going to stand with him.

He knew that doing so would not involve outing their relationship to the public, especially considering that their own friends and family had yet to find out. It just meant that Kate was going to stay and face the media storm with him, and ignore the impulse to run that they both knew she would experience.

For his part, Castle was touched, thankful for her taking such a major step in standing by him. He placed his hand at her back and rubbed circles there, showing Kate that her response was both noticed and appreciated by him. When Jordan adjusted to the Kate standing in front of her, she smiled and nodded.

"Well, I expect that they'll be here within the next hour or so. I'll give you time to get ready." She turned to leave before stopping once more to add, "and there is breakfast in the lobby if you are hungry." With that, she exited and left the two alone once again.

Kate returned to her own room to shower and dress before returning to Rick's room and entering it with the extra room key he'd provided her earlier in the morning when they exchanged them. When he came out of the bathroom showered, shaved, dressed and smelling wonderfully, Kate stepped into him and wrapped her arms around his torso. She inhaled the scent of his skin while her face was buried in his neck. Before she stepped away she spoke,

"I don't know who I am anymore." Castle looked at her with some concern, unsure what she meant by the comment.

"Why do you say that? I know exactly who you are Kate." He replied.

"Because when I wake up in the morning and get ready, I feel the need to be in your arms and inhale your scent as being a priority Castle. I don't know who I am because there is something in my life more important than my first cup of coffee." She smiled at him and he simply let out a laugh.

"I've been buying it for years now Kate, and as you know, it had less to do with wanting the coffee and more to do with wanting your smile." They both smiled as they moved in for a slow, sweet kiss.

"Make me happy now Castle. Take me to the coffee." She lovingly implored him.

"Well, ok." He consented, "but baby Castle is going to require decaf." He reminded her.

She beamed at him, taking him in once more for a kiss.

* * *

The partners sat in the lobby, enjoying breakfast and talking to each other in low tones.

"So, do you think Esposito suspects anything?" Kate asked Rick.

"Well, I saw him looking at us quite a lot in the rear-view mirror on the way back. I also think he caught you holding my hand yesterday." Castle answered her question.

They decided to play things low key, not giving up the nature of their relationship to anyone else before Alexis. However, they also knew that it wouldn't be possible to hide all of the changes in their body language, in their interactions and in their style of communication.

Although it wouldn't necessarily confirm that they were in a relationship, especially given that they'd been living in complete isolation, they weren't sure if their friends would catch on, or blame the behaviors on the psychological effects of their past four months.

"I think that he's not sure, but he suspects." Castle elaborated, earning a nod of agreement from Kate.

"You know," he added, "we could have a little fun with this."

"How so?" She asked, a smirk appearing on her face.

"Well, we tell Alexis and our parents early on, but we let everyone else just figure it out." Kate smiled at him.

"That could be fun." She agreed. "Can you imagine the looks that the boys would give us if we just started being really sappy and romantic." She laughed at the thought and he soon joined her.

"Let's just act as if nothing has changed in our conversations with them, and have fun confusing the hell out of them in the mean time." Rick finally spoke, endorsing Kate's suggestion to mess with them.

She nodded and smiled deviously, but then grew serious again. "Nothing's going to be the same Rick. It's all about to change." She spoke as the realization hit her.

"We're not returning to our old lives." She continued.

"No, we're not Kate. We traded in our old lives for a new life, together." Castle took her hands and squeezed them.

* * *

Gates drove to Albany, followed by Ryan, Jenny and Lanie in another vehicle. Upon entering into the city, the captain gave Ryan directions to the hotel where Castle, Beckett, Shaw and Esposito were staying. So, one vehicle went on to the hotel, while Gates waited at the airport for the flight carrying Alexis, Martha and Jim to arrive.

Their flight was due to arrive any moment now, but she knew that they would have to de-board the plane and wait for their luggage. She settled herself in for a long wait in the parking garage.

* * *

When Ryan pulled into the parking lot of the hotel he was greeted by Esposito, who had received the call that they'd arrived. The boys greeted each other warmly, having long-since worked through their own problems, and Esposito gave Lanie a soft Kiss on the lips as he told her he'd missed her.

"But you brought my girl back." Lanie spoke gratefully, caressing his face and planting another quick kiss on his lips.

As if on cue, Castle and Beckett rounded the corner with intent of returning to his room from breakfast, when they spotted the group. Lanie spotted them at the same time and let out a scream, running across the parking lot to pull Kate into a tight embrace. They both laughed and teared up considerably at their reunion. For her part, Lanie spoke,

"Damn, you're tan and way too skinny Kate." Beckett simply smiled, feeling grateful that they'd come when they did and not a few months later while she was showing. Castle, who had been warmly greeting Ryan and Jenny, joined the conversation.

"Now that I've got her back to civilization, I'm on it." He smiled before adding, "and I'm quite certain she'll put weight back on and get a bit bigger over the next few months."

Kate shot him a glare that, although missed by everyone else, her glare succeeded in putting the fear of God into Castle. With the exception of her dad, baby talk was off limits for the near future. Lanie turned to him and simply replied,

"Well, I hope you're right writer boy." With that, she took Castle into a hug and affectionately squeezed his shoulder before adding, "thank you for taking care of her."

He nodded to her in understanding, as they were bonded over their mutual love of Kate Beckett.

It felt really refreshing to be back in the group, Esposito, Ryan and Lanie all laughing and Joking while Jenny affectionately spoke to Kate about all the things she wanted to do now that they were back in civilization.

Soon everyone's attention was drawn to the car pulling into the parking lot, everyone growing silent as they watched both Castle and Beckett behold their loved ones as they stepped out of the vehicle. It was difficult for anyone to take their eyes off of Rick, who was already crying, Alexis doing the same as they made their way towards eachother in the parking lot. Kate was overwhelmed in the moment she saw the redhead finally jump into her father's arms.

Soon her own dad was approaching her, Kate walking quickly to him and wrapping him in a warm hug. She found that she had tears welling in her own eyes as she finally held her father. He kissed her forehead and rubbed her back, whispering how much he loved her and how much he'd missed her.

He finally leaned in and whispered, "Kate, they've got him. It's finally over and he's going to pay." They both leaned back and made eye contact in that moment, allowing the gravity of the moment to settle on them before falling into another hug.

Soon he stood with his arm around Kate, as they faced Rick and beheld the continuing reunion. Kate rested her head against her dad's shoulder as she observed it all.

Rick enveloped his daughter within his embrace, tears falling down her cheeks and into her hair. He kissed her head repeatedly and told her how much he loved her, how sorry he was that he had to leave and how he would never leave again.

Watching the exchange broke Kate's heart as she was filled with intense sadness and guilt over how much Alexis had lost because of her father following her. She felt even worse because she was not much older than Alexis when she lost her mom, followed by the gradual loss of her dad to addiction. For Kate, knowing that Alexis was already down one parent made her feel terrible for taking away the other.

When Martha approached her son she simply pulled him into an embrace, sandwiching Alexis in the middle. She placed kisses on his forehead and moved to his side to wrap her arm around his shoulders and pull him against her side. The family continued to talk, cry, laugh and embrace while Kate looked on.

She was suddenly struck with the overwhelming urge to be alone, which she found alarming considering how much she'd dreamed of being with these people. Pulling her dad with her, she moved to enter her hotel room, using care to prop the door open if others wished to join.

Once they were inside, Jim Beckett asked his daughter what was on her mind and she broke. She shared how horrible she felt about separating families and disrupting lives. She also told him about some of the things that had happened out in the wilderness, admitting to him that she and Castle were, in fact, an item.

She also told her dad that, although nobody else was to know for a great while, she was expecting. Having discussed it with him earlier, she knew that Castle would not be upset with her sharing this news with her dad, as long as he kept it to himself. He pulled her close and smiled,

"One Beckett left us, but two returned." He said, referring to the fact that there was now a tiny person on the way. She smiled at him and nodded, glad that he was happy and excited about the baby. He understood and respected their decision to keep it between them now, especially because Martha and Alexis didn't know yet.

They were sitting on the bed while Jim described life in Portland, where they'd been relocated, when a knock announced the presence of another person. Kate looked up to see Martha entering the room, smiling at Jim kindly before speaking,

"Would you mind if I had a moment alone with your daughter?" She asked him.

He nodded, leaned in to place a kiss on Kate's forehead, and made his way from the room. "I'll be right outside Katie." He said softly before exiting.

Kate stood and swallowed back her nervousness, suddenly very uncomfortable with being alone with Martha. She couldn't mask the trepidation on her face, or the color that drained from it as she prepared herself for the confrontation ahead. Martha had a very serious look on her face as she approached her.

"Hello Beckett." Martha began. Kate nodded and attempted a smile, unable to speak due to the tension she projected and the nerves that seemed to paralyze her momentarily.

"I wanted to talk to you for a second." Martha began, "because I couldn't help but notice the expression on your face as you watched my son reunite with Alexis." Kate was confused, unsure where she was going, but expecting a slew of accusations and the blame that Kate felt she deserved.

"I didn't like what I saw Kate. It was obvious to me that you hold a lot of responsibility for what has gone on over these past months on your shoulders, and as someone who cares about you, I am telling you to stop." She placed both of her hands on Beckett's arms and leveled her with a stare, which did not possess hatred, but a great deal of concern. It almost reminded her of the way her mother would scold her when she was younger.

"I want you to listen to me and listen carefully. Kate Beckett, this was NOT your fault. None of this was your fault." Kate swallowed back the lump in her throat as her eyes welled up, tears threatening to fall. She finally spoke in a tortured voice.

"She never should have been separated from her father. You all never should have been made to go into hiding. I pulled you into this and I can't not hate myself for it." Kate spoke with a shaky voice.

"Well, you'd better try harder Kate, because you are as much to blame for this as you were for your mother's murder." Kate's head shot up at Martha, whose eyes softened as their gaze met.

"Kate, this is the fault of those men, who tore your family apart, who have haunted you. It is their fault, and no one else's. Do you understand me?" Kate finally gave in to her emotions, allowing Martha to take her fully into her arms and hold her as she cried herself out.

She rubbed soothing circles in her back and whispered, "It's over now Kate. It's over. We're all ok, and we can move on now." When Kate's tears finally subsided, Martha pushed her far enough away to look into her eyes,

"Nobody here blames you Kate; so please, for Rick, for your family-all of us, stop blaming yourself." It wasn't lost on Kate that Martha referred to herself as family, and the sentiment warmed her heart. She nodded and took a deep, shaking breath as her body began to calm down from the outpouring of emotions.

"You are a great woman Kate. Your mom would be so very proud, I know I am." Martha placed her palm on her cheek and Kate covered her hand with her own. "Thank you, so much." Another knock sounded as both Rick and Alexis entered the room. Martha stepped to the side and smiled as the rest of her family approached.

Alexis saw Kate and walked straight to her, completely serious as she pulled Kate to her and wrapped her in a tight hug. Kate lowered her chin to rest on Alexis' head as she wrapped her own arms around the girl in return. They just held each other for a few moments before Alexis whispered,

"Thank you for keeping him safe so that he could come back to me." Kate held a little tighter to her and kissed the top of her head before replying, "I will always do everything in my power to see that he comes home safe Alexis, for all of us."

The teen nodded and stepped back from Kate, wiping tears from her eyes before they smiled and started to laugh, both relieved that everyone was finally back together. Rick approached Kate and Alexis in that moment and wrapped both women in his arms, pinning Alexis in the middle once again, as he and Martha had earlier.

He placed a kiss on Alexis' head and a quick kiss on Kate's lips. Martha grinned at them, not at all surprised at the development. Alexis simply remained in the hug, muttering "It's about time," from where she stood between them, arms wrapped around Kate again.

* * *

**A/N: I thought the reunion deserved its own chapter completely. Next we'll have some fun messing with the boys as they travel back to the city :) **


	16. Chapter 16

**Random disclaimer time. Still don't own them, just play around with them. **

* * *

The set out from Albany a little after 10am, Rick, Kate and Alexis riding back with Gates, while Martha, Jim and Lanie rode back with Shaw and Esposito. Given that they estimated the trip back to Manhattan would take about 3 hours from their current location, plans were made to stop and have a group picnic lunch at a state park along the way. Ryan and Jenny, who left about 45 minutes before everyone else, were tasked with picking up the food for everyone.

Rick and Kate felt fairly comfortable taking the car with Gates, as she and Alexis knew that they were an item. As they drove, Castle and Beckett in the back together while Alexis rode up front, they listened to Alexis as she re-counted the past four months of her life.

Once they had been settled in Portland, she was provided enough background information by protective services to allow her to enroll in community college. Therefore, she spent the summer taking some of the general education courses that were required of all freshmen in college. Because she was able to do this, she would be able to start Colombia in January without being behind. She was assured that she would be given the proper documentation to show the university and allow her to be re-admitted.

Rick was happy and relieved to hear that her life wouldn't be too disrupted in the coming year. Also on their drive, Gates informed Beckett that she spoke with the chief of detectives over the phone briefly.

"I'm going to go ahead and process the paperwork to re-instate detective Esposito, considering his departure was tied up in this case." She began to explain,

"If you are interested I am willing to process your re-instatement as well Beckett." The captain offered her.

Beckett turned to Castle, who was already sitting against her, their hands clasped. He smiled brightly at her and she soon grinned as well.

"I would like that very much sir." She spoke. "Thank you."

Gates was silent for a moment before she added, "and feel free to bring Mr. Castle back with you. Our clearance rate could stand to improve." Castle and Beckett turned to one another and grinned widely, taking great pleasure in the captains acceptance of his presence.

* * *

At about 12:30, they pulled into the state park, pulling up beside the other vehicles they recognized. Before getting out of the car, they looked around to be sure nobody was looking before smiling and leaning in for a quick kiss. Kate laughed mischievously to herself and quirked an eyebrow before speaking,

"It's show time."

The supplies for sandwiches were piled on the top of a picnic table, along with fruits and vegetables, chips and drinks. Plates, cups and napkins were passed to everyone as meals were prepared and the group simply enjoyed one another's company.

It started pretty subtly, Rick taking a bite of his sandwich and smearing a bit of mustard on his chin. Instead of alerting him to the spot, Kate simply leaned into him, wiped it with her finger and put the substance in her mouth.

Rick acted completely unaffected by the exchange, but Ryan cocked an eyebrow and just stared at them. Jenny, who had missed the exchange, nudged her husband and asked him what was wrong. Those who knew about their relationship remained quiet, as it was obvious what the couple was up to.

A little while later, they upped the ante a bit when Alexis asked Shaw to take a photo of the group. As they all posed, looking toward the camera at the head of the table, Kate leaned back into Rick, allowing her head to rest against his chest as they all posed.

Ryan got Esposito's attention silently and looked to Castle and Beckett, returning to his partner with a questioning expression. Esposito shrugged his shoulders in response, as their behavior had been absurd since he brought them back from the wilderness.

For her part, Lanie simply smiled to herself, very intrigued to know how close they had grown. She mentally logged the need to get Kate alone and question her as soon as possible. She was excited by the prospect that maybe, just maybe, the summer's events had been enough to finally bring them together.

As their time at the park grew to an end, they all took turns using the bathrooms while they cleaned up their mess. Beckett, being the last to return to the table where her loved ones were seated, smiled to herself as another idea occurred to her. She walked right up to Rick, and leaned against his legs, letting him know with her smile that she was up to something. Catching on, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her down onto his lap.

Ryan and Esposito watched, sure that the move was going to get Castle slapped, but were floored when instead, Kate leaned her forehead against his and smiled lovingly at him. They continued to observe, Lanie and Jenny paying close attention too. For their parts, Shaw, Gates, Alexis, Martha and Jim simply finished cleaning up as if nothing was odd.

The boys finally had enough when Rick moved his face over to whisper something in her ear, causing her to laugh softly to herself and twirl her hair. That had done it.

"Ok. Seriously, what the hell is going on?" Esposito demanded.

Instead of answering right away, the pair acted for a moment longer like they'd heard nothing, leaning in to kiss each other full on the lips, slowly and sweetly. Finally, they turned to look at their friends, and Kate spoke,

"What, do we need to spell it out for you?" Kate asked them bluntly with a smile on her face, resting her head against Rick's. Lanie let out what could only be described as a squeal as she ran to hug Kate.

"It finally happened! It FINALLY happened! Good lord you two know how to draw things out, but I'm so glad it finally happened!" Kate smiled and laughed at Lanie's reaction.

"So how long did it take in the middle of nowhere for you two to finally come to your senses?" Esposito joined in.

Castle and Beckett looked at each other for a moment, then to Shaw and Gates, who looked amused at the prospect of what they were about to reveal. They turned to look at all of their friends and family before Rick answered.

"It took approximately negative one days." His answer was met with expressions of confusion, prompting Kate to jump in and clarify.

"The day I quit the force, the day I nearly died. He was the only thing I could think about and I was tired of waiting. So, I got my priorities straight and we've been together ever since. So, when we got to the woods, we were already together for one day." They were all shocked by the news.

"So you two have been a couple for 4 months now!" Lanie exclaimed. "Wow!"

Alexis smiled brightly at them and added, "and they're adorable," earning her a non-serious glare from her dad, and a laugh from Kate who witnessed their exchange.

"Well, I hate to break this up." Shaw interjected, "but reality awaits."

The group nodded somberly, knowing that life was going to be tough for the couple, especially with the media waiting to jump on them. Kate took a deep breath and stood, reaching for Castle's hand as he stood to join her. They walked back to the car slowly, Castle's hands in his pockets while Beckett encircled one of her arms through his and leaned her head against his shoulders.

"We're in this together." She told him.

"I know." He answered, "which is why we're going to need to discuss strategy for dealing with the press."

* * *

Discuss strategy was exactly what the pair did on the car ride back to the city. Over lunch Kate's father revealed some major changes to her. Namely, without knowing how long she would be gone, and without any association with the force she'd quit, there was nobody to ensure that her apartment was paid for. As a result, Jim was forced to sublease the unit due to his lack of ability to keep up with payments, especially after he was taken into protective custody.

Her things had been moved to storage and her father offered her the option of returning home until she figured things out. When she'd heard the news Rick, who had been sitting beside her at the picnic table, simply laced their fingers together and gave her a squeeze.

She smiled softly in understanding of his silent reminder, they weren't going to be apart again. Although he didn't know it, Kate's dad saved her the trouble of dealing with her apartment. She also figured it would give she and Castle a good excuse for her to stay there without rushing things with the family. Alexis and Martha would find that Kate would stay there, and not leave, as opposed to a grand announcement of her moving in. It would allow everyone a chance to ease into things.

Rick spoke up, "If it's ok with my mom and Alexis, I Know Kate plans to return to work soon and I'm closer to the 12th than her apartment was. She's welcome to stay with me."

Jim smiled and nodded, expecting that this would happen, especially considering the pair were expecting a child together. Martha nodded her acceptance of the plan, glad for the younger woman's influence on her son. Alexis spoke up as well,

"I plan to move into a dorm in January if everything goes as planned, but I don't have any problem with Kate staying with us." She smiled warmly to Kate, who looked relieved to have everyone's approval. It also would be very convenient to be closer to work.

Back in the car, they decided that the best approach would be to get them into the loft as soon as possible and stay put until some of the commotion had died down. Rick would work with his publicist to develop a statement for them, but for the time being, they were going remain tight-lipped. They would have her things delivered from storage, or at least the things she needed.

Neither liked the prospect of being, yet again, constrained in where they could or could not go. However, having lived in some pretty rough conditions, the thought of cuddling up at the loft sounded like paradise. Kate remembered how wonderful Rick's master bath looked from her one night with him, and she approved of any scenario that involved her lounging for hours there. She approved even more because there was definitely room for two.

Just the thought caused her to move her arm to Rick's thigh, squeezing it lovingly but possessively at the same time. She looked forward to the moment when he could pin her beneath him in his own spacious bed. The idea of not leaving the loft was sounding better by the second.

When they entered the city, both looked out the car windows, smiling at the familiar city, the place they both grew up. Rick turned to Kate and they discussed all the places they would be ordering food from over the coming days and weeks, causing them both to laugh. Alexis suggested a movie marathon, pizza night to settle in and they agreed that it would be a lovely idea.

Getting passed the media was hectic, but Kate was grateful that they were in a car. She was also incredibly happy that they were going to the garage, which had direct elevator access to his floor. Jim was invited to stay for a few days as well, considering that he'd not seen Kate in awhile. So, they all made their way to the loft, settling back in after what felt like the longest summer of their lives.

They weren't bothered by the media once inside, as security kept them at bay. Despite the plan to use his publicist, Beckett knew that they were going to have to face things sooner or later. For the evening though, it was just them. Pizzas were ordered and everyone enjoyed watching a movie while they ater.

They gathered in the living room, Rick and Kate starting the movie sitting a reasonable distance apart, but nestled up against eachother by the end. They couldn't quite describe what was happening between them, but if felt almost magnetic, or like a gravitational pull. They reasoned that they'd developed the need to be close, to be touching, as a coping mechanism over such a long period of isolation. Afterall, it was human nature to crave closeness.

Regardless of the cause, they found that even when home, they were most comfortable when they were close. Later that night, after a long and luxurious bath together, followed by some quality time between the sheets, they fell into a peaceful slumber wrapped in each other's arms.

* * *

The morning came to find Castle alone, startled and disturbed. He was not used to waking alone, specifically without Kate and it threw him for a moment. He rose from the bed and put his robe on before heading for the kitchen. There, he saw Kate having coffee with her dad.

He walked up to them and stopped, placing a Kiss on Kate's head before speaking,

"Good morning. I hope that's decaf." He referenced the coffee in her hands. He then looked from Kate to Jim and added,

"Um. You know, because caffeine can be bad for some people, and I wouldn't want Kate to get a headache or something." Kate interrupted him before he could continue to make up non-sense to explain the decaf comment.

"It's ok Castle. He knows about the baby, and yes-it's decaf." Kate offered him.

Rick smiled at Jim and nodded, somewhat shyly. Afterall, he wasn't clear on the etiquette of dealing with these situations and Meredith didn't have an involved father when she'd gotten pregnant with Alexis. Was he supposed to step up to him and shake his hand? Was he supposed to say "Hey Jim. Got your daughter knocked up! Congrats grandpa." He shook the thought off. If someone had done that and Alexis was pregnant, he would killed the guy.

He moved to the coffee maker and poured himself a cup, trying to shake the thoughts of Alexis as pregnant. In his head, Alexis would remain a virgin until the day he died. He joined them at the Kitchen table and learned that they were talking about the trial that they were certain would come to pass.

Kate was determined that she would get her day in court, and considering that she had been an attempted sniper victim, she was sure she'd get called in to testify on more than one count; once to speak as a victim, on behalf of her mother, and again to speak on her gunshot wound.

She welcomed both instances with open arms. Once Castle joined them, Jim shifted the conversation.

"So I am assuming that you won't be looking for another place of your own?" Jim asked Kate.

She smiled to her dad, confirming that his guess was correct. "I'm already home dad." He smiled, glad that Kate finally had a family of her own. He also felt secure in the knowledge that Richard Castle loved his daughter as much as he'd loved his Johanna. They would be happy together and his daughter deserved that, especially after everything she'd been through.

"Actually," Rick spoke, grabbing Kate's hand. "I asked her to marry me." He informed Jim.

"And I've said yes." Kate spoke, smiling at him.

"I know it seems sudden, but all the time we spent together, well-we both knew we weren't going to be able to do it alone again." Rick explained.

"It took three years for me to get the nerve up to tell Kate's mom how I felt." Jim began, "you've got a year on us. I don't think it's too soon." They smiled happily at him.

"This is all assuming that he puts a ring on it." Beckett teased him before giving him a sound kiss on the lips.

"Hold that thought!" Rick exclaimed before running back to his room. When he returned he sat across from Kate and presented her with a black box, which he opened. "Kate" He spoke. "For the third time, will you marry me?"

She laughed at him, looking down at the beautiful solitaire diamond ring he was sliding on her finger. "Yes, again, but how? Where did you get this? How Castle?" She asked him.

"Well, I got it before we left." He started.

"We were together for about 7 hours before everything happened Castle. Again, how?" She pressed him.

"I got it before we were together, when I knew that one day I was going to ask you."

"How long ago Castle?" She asked.

"When we defused the bomb." I knew you were it for me, I just needed you to figure it out.

She stood and pulled her to him, kissing him fiercely, "I love you, you patient, stubborn man. Thank you for waiting for me to figure it all out." He wiped the tears from her cheeks and they kissed once again.

Jim Beckett beaming at the whole exchange.

"What is all this?" Martha Rodgers spoke as she joined the celebration.

Castle simply took Kate's hand and showed it to his mom. "Ah! So you finally gave it to her! Wonderful!" She hugged Kate warmly before pulling back, "You know, when he bought that thing I was sure he'd lost his mind. He ensured me that he knew what he was doing though." She waved animatedly before turning to her son.

"And it would appear that he was right." Martha added, grabbing him for a hug.

"Alexis!" She exclaimed as the redhead approached, curious as to what the commotion was all about.

"What's going on?" She asked, clearly confused with all the excitement.

"Um." Kate spoke, not sure how to do this. Luckily, she didn't have to elaborate, as she spotted the ring on Kate's finger.

"Oh my GOD! Is that an engagement ring on your hand?" She yelled out in surprise, pulling Kate's hand out to her.

"Alexis, I know it seems sudden, but-" Alexis cut her off before she could finish.

"Sudden?" Alexis laughed as she replied, "4 years and 4 months is sudden?" She asked again.

"It's the longest relationship he's ever had!" Alexis added.

"Hey!" Castle defended himself, but couldn't argue against the point.

Alexis just laughed at her dad as she turned to Kate. "I'm happy for you both. I'm happy that you'll be taking care of him when I'm gone, he needs someone to look after him." She hugged Kate as she spoke.

"You know I can hear you, right?" He asked.

Alexis stepped back and moved to her dad, pulling him into an embrace as well, "Congratulations dad! You've found the right one." She kissed him softly on the cheek.

_So much for going slow_, Kate thought to herself.

* * *

**AN: So Alexis & Martha will find out about the baby next chapter, but it isn't how one would expect. Unless there is a change in how the story writes, two chapters left! **


	17. Chapter 17

**Enjoy! **

* * *

With hugs and kisses for everyone, Jim Beckett said goodbye to his daughter and the people who were now his family. He was ready to be back in his home and to move forward with his life again, secure in the knowledge that his daughter was safe and happy. It was a perfect Saturday afternoon in early September and Kate was having some of her things delivered from storage.

She couldn't wipe the smile from her face these days, as life just seemed too perfect. She and Rick had gone to see the doctor that was to be their OBGYN through her pregnancy. They gathered references and met with her before Kate's exam, and both agreed immediately that she was the doctor they wanted. They were also very fortunate that she had a slot for a new patient, which rarely happened with so little advanced notice.

During her first exam, the couple learned that Kate was now approximately seven weeks pregnant, and everything looked good. The baby appeared to be completely safe and healthy, and was the perfect size for this early stage in the pregnancy. They were also told that during the next visit, they would be able to hear the heartbeat. It was all very exciting.

While they were picking up Kate's prenatal vitamins they discussed telling the family. "Rick, I think it would be a good idea to wait a bit before we tell anyone else." She began.

"It isn't that I don't want them to know, but I think it would be wise to wait just a little longer into the pregnancy. It's really early and I just want to be sure that everything is going to be alright before we start to share the news."

Rick nodded in his agreement. "That makes sense. It is hard to not tell, but they've already gotten quite a lot of news, a lot of change lately." He commented.

"Yeah," Kate agreed, "Hey guys! We're together now, and Kate's going to live here, and we're going to get married!" She summarized it all before adding, "We can hold off a bit on the baby news I think."

They smiled and leaned in for a quick kiss.

"Besides," Castle added, "I like having this little secret between us." She smiled and nodded, agreeing with the sentiment completely.

Kate smiled to herself, filling with warmth again over the knowledge that there was going to be a baby joining them next year.

* * *

On the same Saturday afternoon, Kevin Ryan and Javier Esposito found themselves at the precinct. Although they knew that Kate would want to be there, they decided that she was better off for the time being settling back in. Their mentor had been through enough lately. As for them, they weren't going to miss this experience for the world.

This was especially true for Esposito, who had a personal interest in one of the men who had been brought into custody. It had taken some time to bring in everyone who had been identified by the commissioner. This was especially true considering the list of snipers and hit men, as they were trained to be invisible. Therefore, when the call came that they had finally captured the remaining names on the list, including Cole Maddox, they made a special trip to the precinct to pay the man a visit.

The partners walked past the holding cells, the men behind bars waiting to be processed, they felt a definite sense of vindication over the visit they were about to pay. The officer who escorted them led the detectives to the cell in question, stopping to give them the chance to come face to face with the sniper.

Kevin simply stared ahead for a moment, slightly confused as to why they stopped. Esposito turned to the officer and clarified, "I said we were here to see Cole Maddox." The officer looked at the men in confusion before replying, "Yeah, Cole Maddox. You're looking at him."

Both Ryan and Esposito spun on the officer, "What?" Kevin yelled. Esposito turned back to the cell and looked at the man who was sitting there, watching the exchange with mild interest. He'd never seen the detectives in his life. He pointed to the hit man and spoke to the officer again, "That man, is NOT Cole Maddox, or at least he's not the sniper who shot Beckett."

As the realization struck, both Ryan and Esposito turned to eachother in panic. Whoever the man was, who they'd identified as Cole Maddox, was still on the loose.

"Oh God." Kevin spoke.

"Beckett." Esposito added, notes of fear in his voice.

* * *

At the knock she heard, Kate was drawn from her memories of the past week. She answered to find that the movers had arrived, bringing with them the first of her boxes. There were only a few things, considering how many boxes she had in storage. They delivered her clothing, toiletries, accessories, some of her more sentimental objects, and a few other odds and ends that would help Kate feel even more at home in the loft.

The DVDs she owned were delivered as well, which gave both her and Alexis something to look forward to, as she had many of the movies that had been her favorites when she was younger. Kate looked forward to future movie nights when she could share the movies, the memories, with Alexis.

Martha and Alexis, along with Rick, all helped Kate to settle in. They added some pictures, décor, and some of her odds and ends to the apartment. The door remained open as the movers came and went, adding to the moderate pile of objects and clothing that Kate needed to sort through.

She was back in the bedroom, working on hanging her clothing, when she realized that she was going to need more space.

"Hey Rick!" She called out to him, "We're going to need to do some more re-organizing." She followed up. He didn't respond.

She set down one of her camisoles, calling his name again, "Rick!" She yelled, making her way out of the bedroom and back to where he'd been in the living room moments before.

"Rick, I'm not sure where to put my-" She stopped dead, the blood draining from her face as she entered the living room to find the other three members of the house standing there, hands in the air, as the man who had nearly killed her, twice, stood in the open doorway. He held a gun on Rick, but turned his attention to Kate when she entered the room.

"Nice of you to join us detective." He spoke.

"Maddox," Kate spoke, desperately attempting to stay calm and take in her surroundings, including where everyone in the room was located, "there's no way you're going to get away with this. It's over now." She told him.

"See," he spoke, "that's where you're wrong. It's over when I say it's over and right now, it isn't done." He turned the gun to point directly at Kate, but kept his attention on Castle, who was standing much closer to him.

"Although you're right detective, it will be over very soon." He slowly moved to point the gun at each member of the family, taking extra time on Alexis. "The question is, Kate, who goes first?"

She swallowed, silently praying that nobody would make any sudden moves and that Castle would keep his mouth shut. She had no such luck, as Castle chose that moment to speak up.

"Maddox, you do this, and there is no way you will walk away." He turned back to Castle, pointing the gun directly at his head,

"Again, you're wrong. You think I don't know how to disappear? Don't you think that you would have been able to catch me already?" He challenged Castle menacingly.

"Maddox," Kate spoke in desperate attempt to take his attention off of Castle, "You're right. You can disappear. Now your bosses are behind bars and it's over. Why not just leave? You can walk away and never be tied up with any of this."

He smiled menacingly at her, "You're right, and after you're all dead that is exactly what I will do. However, he-" Maddox spoke, glaring at Castle, "can't seem to keep his nose out of other people's business. I wouldn't have had to come after you if you two had just stayed out of it. So consider yourselves some loose ends that I need to tie up." Alexis and Martha remained stone-faced as he spoke, keeping quiet and making no sudden moves.

"So Kate, who do you want to watch go first? I'll give you the choice. I promise you this though, you'll be the last to die, after you watch everyone else suffer."

"Why hurt them at all Maddox?" Kate questioned, "Why not just kill me? I'm the one you want." Kate implored him.

"So. I let them all live, and you just volunteer to let me kill you." Maddox spoke, seemingly considering it, but the likelihood was that he was simply toying with her.

"If you want to get to them, if you want revenge on Castle for anything, and you want me dead, just kill me. That's the worst revenge you could have on him." She explained to him, taking a few slow steps in his direction. There was no way she could watch them die, and she was trying to buy some time, or get close enough to have a shot at disarming him.

Maddox stepped closer to Kate, but turned the gun once more on Rick, "If you move, writer, you know what I'll do?" He asked, not waiting for Castle to respond before turning his gun directly at Alexis' head. "I'll kill her first." Rick's eyes watered and he was shaking violently, "You touch her and I swear to God-"

"You swear what!" Maddox yelled, jamming the barrel of the gun against Castle's temple.

Kate tried desperately to de-escalate the situation, "Maddox just Kill me!" She desperately attempted to distract him again, moving even closer to where he stood, doing anything to get the gun away from Castle's head.

He backed up to the door once again, refusing to get close to Beckett, who could suddenly try to disarm him. As long as he had Castle's mother and daughter, he knew he could control him, but Kate was a wild card.

"Very well Beckett," He moved to aim the gun at her, bringing it in line before placing his finger on the trigger.

"NO!" Castle yelled. "Please don't kill her. She's pregnant!" He yelled, desperately trying to reason with Maddox. Both Alexis and Martha shot surprised glances at Kate, unsure as to whether it was a ruse, or it was the truth. Instead of softening at the news, he laughed at his good fortune.

"Excellent." He spoke, "one shot to the stomach, and as you bleed out slowly, you can die with the knowledge that I'm going to kill them one by one." He moved the gun lower and aimed at Kate's abdomen. She bowed her head and closed her eyes before she heard the shot.

"BANG." The breath left her body as she waited for the pain, for the impact to set in. However, nothing happened. She felt nothing, no different whatsoever. She opened her eyes slowly to find that Rick, Martha and Alexis all had their eyes squeezed shut, unable to see Kate go down.

What she wasn't expecting to see was Cole Maddox on the floor, a gunshot wound in the back of his head, a fiercely determined Victoria Gates standing behind him, her gun still held out.

She couldn't understand it. None of it made sense, "How did you know?" Kate asked.

At the sound of her voice, the Castle family members opened their eyes, letting out visible signs of relief at the presence of Gates. Both Ryan and Esposito walked up behind her, standing in the doorway.

Alexis let out a shaking breath, running to her father's arms to bury herself within his embrace. Martha did the same with Kate, kissing her on the cheek. "You're a brave, stubborn woman, but that could have ended very badly." Martha held her tighter.

"I understand why you did what you did, but no more falling on the sword Kate, we need you." She continued.

Alexis turned her face towards Kate and reached her arm out to her, bringing both her grandmother and the detective to her side. They held to each other, "Kate, is it true?" Alexis asked.

She paused a moment, making eye contact with Rick, "Yes Alexis. I'm pregnant." Alexis moved to completely wrap her arms around Kate, shaken that the woman who had become so very important to her, who was now carrying her little brother or sister, had almost died.

"We're sorry we didn't tell you." Rick supplied, looking at his mom while Alexis remained in Kate's embrace. "We wanted to wait until we knew that everything was going to be ok with the pregnancy." Kate finished.

Ryan and Esposito came over to the group, as did Gates. Beckett stepped away and did something completely out of character, she moved to the captain and pulled her in for a hug. "Thank you sir, thank you for my family. Thank you for this little one." She spoke, hands on her abdomen, referring to her unborn child.

Gates smiled warmly, "I'm just glad we got here in time." She then allowed for the boys to explain what happened, their discovery that the man in front of them had stolen an identity and their rush to tell Gates what was happening and the danger they were all in.

After hugs and words of congratulations from the boys, it was evident that the cat was out of the bag. Before anyone had a chance to see her, Kate grabbed the phone to tell Lanie what had occurred, informing her that she was also expecting. It all seemed overwhelming, but she was glad that everyone was supportive, especially Alexis and Martha; who were already discussing the baby shower they would plan in the coming months.

* * *

That night, they all settled in and watched a movie together. For the first time, instead of cuddling up to her father, Alexis cuddled up to Kate. They watched one of Kate's favorite movies as a child, The Labyrinth. After getting past David Bowie's costumes and hair, and being reassured that if the baby was a boy Kate would not name him Toby, they enjoyed the silliness of the movie as a family.

Martha's heart was warmed at the site in front of her, Rick holding Kate, who was holding Alexis as they watched the movie. Never in his previous relationships, including his marriage to Meredith, did Rick's significant other share in family movie night. Meredith had no interest and Gina was kept from Alexis as much as possible. However, with Kate there didn't seem to be those boundaries.

They were already enmeshed and it made the older woman proud and relieved to know that her family was complete. Kate, who sensed she was being watched looked to Martha and smiled when they made eye contact. Seeing that the woman was watching Rick and Alexis as well, she turned to the father and daughter, laughing softly to find that both were asleep against her.

She turned back to Martha and smiled once again, finding it oddly comforting to be sandwiched between the sleeping individuals that she loved the most. Martha, as if reading her thoughts simply looked to Kate and softly whispered.

"Welcome home."

* * *

**Just the Epilogue left, which will include lots of time jumping here and there. I'm going to miss writing this! **


	18. Epilogue

It was a cool November day, the kind of day that was Kate's favorite. The leaves were still falling from the trees, but would soon give completely to the coming winter. They were probably just weeks from the first New York snow and she looked forward to sharing it with her family. This year Charlie would be old enough to truly enjoy the flakes for the first time.

She and Castle walked through the grave yard, her arm wrapped through his as she carried a warm blanket, and flowers, while he carried their child on his hip. She thought warmly to herself as she recalled the day in early may when the latest member of the family joined them.

* * *

It was a warm and breezy Sunday afternoon, as Kate walked arm in arm with her husband through central park. Rick woke her up early that morning, bringing her breakfast in bed, a dozen pink roses, a wonderful bath set and candles to complement the gift, along with a beautiful emerald necklace. It was a symbol of their child, who was due any day now.

That morning marked the first mother's day of many for Kate Beckett. They spent the afternoon strolling through the park, as was usual for them. Even though she was 38 weeks pregnant, Kate was determined to remain as active as possible until the moment the baby came. Castle wasn't surprised, especially considering Kate's nature, he half expected their baby to be born kicking and screaming with fists balled in the air, demanding social justice for all.

She loved the scent in the air, as the breeze carried with it the fragrances of the fresh flowers in bloom. They rounded the sidewalk and Kate stopped once again, rubbing out the cramp in her uterus. The damned Braxton-hicks contractions had been coming for days now, and she was growing tired of them. At first they rushed to the hospital, thinking it was time, only to be sent home and told to not return until they were more intense and closer together, indicating actual labor as opposed to the false labor she'd been experiencing.

Castle stopped to rub her back, adding pressure to the circles he pressed in attempt to make her more comfortable. "Are you sure you don't want to take a break Kate?" He asked her.

"I'm fine, it's just these are getting annoying." She spoke, the tension finally releasing as she exhaled and they continued to move. A few minutes later she stopped again, breathing deep and waiting for the pain to pass. At the expression on her face, Rick became concerned.

"Kate, are those hurting you?" He pressed, knowing that one of the central differences between the false labor, and real contractions was the presence of pain. "Just a little." She admitted. His eyes widened at her, "For how long have they been hurting?"

"Castle it's ok. They're not too bad, and the timing between them is still not right." She appeased him.

"Well, these contractions are only about two minutes apart Kate." I think we need to see the doctor.

"I don't want to go back until I know that it's time." She argued. "Let's just keep walking."

So they did. By the time they passed the coffee stand that they usually used, Kate doubled over in pain.

"Ow!" Ok, Castle I think you're right.

"You think it's time? Are you sure?" He asked. She looked up at him and pointed to the ground, directing his attention down. There he saw a puddle, noting that her pants were drenched.

"Oh my God Kate, your water just broke!" He yelled.

"Yeah Castle. I noticed!" She grabbed his arm as he guided her out of the park and to a cab.

By the time they reached the hospital her contractions were about 90 seconds apart, growing closer rapidly. With the knowledge that her water had broken, they wasted little time getting her set up and in a room. Her first exam revealed that she was already 5 centimeters dilated and nearly completely effaced.

As she progressed through her labor, the contractions became increasingly intense, forcing Kate to focus almost completely on her breathing to concentrate through the pain. She was determined to give birth naturally, as her mother had done.

Finally, after hours and hours of hard labor, and the final stages of transitioning, the doctor informed her that she was fully dilated and ready to push. Rick and Kate had agreed early on that they wanted to be surprised about the sex of their baby, having names ready for both possibilities.

When the time came to push, Rick helped Kate to scoot forward in the bed slightly, bringing her legs to rest in the stirrups as the nurses and their doctor prepared themselves. They also saw that a nurse allowed for Martha and Alexis to join them. They were there through the majority of the labor, but had gone for coffee before the final exam by the doctor.

Once scooted forward, Rick crawled into bed behind Kate, allowing her to use his back to lean against. He held a compress against her head with one hand and held hers with the other. The women returned and stood on either side of her, ready to meet the newest family member and eager to see if it was a_ he_ or a _she_.

The doctor told Kate to get ready by taking a deep breath, and as she did she took both of Castle's hands in hers. As was the case with everything else in her life since the moment she met him, since before she met him, he was her anchor. They told her to push, counting slowly to 10 before allowing her to rest.

When the first contraction was over, she caught her breath as Alexis changed the cloth on her head, wiping the sweat from her brow. Rick kissed her forehead, whispering words of love and encouragement to her as she prepared herself for the next contraction. They saw it coming on the monitor, and she felt it, bracing herself while she took another deep breath.

Again, they counted to 10, Kate concentrating furiously as she tried to push, feeling an increase of pressure that was nearly impossible to manage. She let out a scream after the end of the second round, "I can't." She started to feel overwhelmed, the pressure taking over and her body shaking in exertion.

The doctor told her again to take a breath, informing her that she could see the head. Rick spoke to her as Alexis again wiped the sweat from her brow, Martha's hand resting softly on her arm. As the next contraction approached she turned her head to the side, "I'm sorry Castle. I'm too tired."

He comforted her, "you're doing so great Kate." The doctor and the nurses nodded and added their own encouragement. Kate, this is the hardest part, the baby is crowning and we've got to get the shoulders out. They urged her once again to take a breath, and she gave everything to the next push. She started to struggle as they counted, '7, 8, 9, 10,' Breathing out in exhaustion finally.

Tears streamed down her face, "Castle please. I'm sorry. I can't do this anymore." She tried desperately to recover.

"Kate, I can see the baby now, his head is out. Just one more big push and he'll be here; Just one more Kate." The doctor urged her. She couldn't stop the trembling in her body, and she'd never been as exhausted in her life. "I've got nothing left." She cried out.

"Kate, I remember the first time I saw you. I was amazed. You were so driven, so intense, you were extraordinary. Do you remember when I told you that?" He kissed along her brow and continued to speak softly to her,

"You're Kate Beckett. You kick ass and take names. You bring justice to victims and make grown men shake with fear. You're the strongest woman I know. Kate you've got this, your strength is what I fell in love with. I know you can do this." He whispered in her ear, "through everything you've done, you've survived, you've got this. I can't wait to tell this baby how strong and amazing you are. Just one more push Kate."

With the final contraction she pushed with all she had, she held out longer than the count of ten and just before she was to break, she felt it with a pop. The pressure was gone and she could feel the slide, the shoulders had passed and the baby came out.

She caught her breath, relieved that it was over, relieved that she did it and wouldn't have to do it again. In the next moment she heard it, the strong cry that was music to her ears. The magnitude of it all, the reality of everything set in as she completely forgot about the difficulty of the birth. All she could do was listen to the fierce cry.

In the next second the doctor lifted the baby, causing both Castle and Beckett to gasp, caught somewhere between a laugh and a cry. "Congratulations, it's a little girl!" The doctor spoke. Martha and Alexis were both in tears, Rick offering his mother the honor of cutting the cord. Once the baby was free, they set her on Kate's stomach and the parents stared on in wonder.

The tiny, screaming infant quieted when Rick's warm hand began to rub her back, Kate softly stroking her head. She opened her eyes and moved her head slightly toward Kate's voice when she spoke,

"Hello baby Charlotte. You're so perfect." She couldn't keep the tears back, as she became overwhelmed with a sense of love and protectiveness that she'd never experienced before. They took the baby, cleaned, weighed, printed and tested her reflexes before wrapping her in a pink blanket and hat, and placing her back in her mother's arms. Rick continued to hold Kate in his arms, reaching around her to lovingly caress their newborn daughter.

"She's beautiful Kate. Absolutely perfect."

* * *

Kate loved that Charlotte, who they frequently called Charlie for short, had been born on Mother's day. It seemed fitting, and incredibly special. She smiled to herself at the memory of her daughter's birth as she looked at her, laughing and clapping her hands as Rick carried her through the cemetery. It was the first time they'd brought her here, but Kate thought it was time.

She loved to watch her husband when he held their daughter, who had her brown hair, although slightly lighter and quite curly. She also had green eyes, but on her face were Castle's features. She was funny, happy, playful, way too smart for her own good, and absolutely gorgeous. Although Charlotte's eyes were green, they were more bluish green, whereas Kate's were more brownish green. It was like she was given a new eye color, the perfect combination of her parents.

Kate sighed happily to herself as she thought about life since Charlotte had arrived. Motherhood had proven to be difficult, but wonderful. Exhausting, but fulfilling. Scary, but exciting. She never knew what would come next where their little girl was concerned.

She was a Castle in every sense of the word, curious and into everything, with the stubborn streak of her mother to make controlling the strong-willed child nearly impossible. However, with all the strong-willed and sometimes difficult to manage traits, was a sweet and soft disposition, leading the most ornery of individuals to fall absolutely in love with her.

* * *

In addition to Charlotte joining their lives, Kate had seen herself present at the trial for the man who had murdered her mother. After he'd been convicted, and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, each of the victim's families were given the chance to come and speak up. Kate often thought about what she would say to the man, and how she would talk about all he'd taken away.

However, when the time came for her to speak, Rick and her dad by her side while Alexis and Martha remained at home with their 8 month old infant, she found herself compelled to take a different approach. After Jim said his piece, recalling the wonderful woman that he'd taken and telling the man that he had no right and that he would now rot in prison, Kate took the stand. She took a deep breath, held her head high, and began to speak.

"Hello senator Berkley. I know who you are, and I know what you did. I know all about how you got to the place of power you had. Now, so does everyone else, and your life is over." She began.

"Me, on the other hand, my life is just beginning. I've got a bright and happy, wonderfully fulfilled future ahead of me, despite what you did to my mother." She leveled him with her glare.

"Mr. Berkley, I've got all the love and happiness in the world. I wake up in the morning, and I go to bed every night with absolutely no regrets. If you ever wonder what that feels like, let me tell you-it's damn good." She continued.

"I know you ordered me killed, more than once, but guess what?" She waited for him to look up to meet her eyes,

"You lose." She bluntly stated.

"Unlike a lot of people who come in to speak, who can be just faceless and nameless to you, a victim from one of the many families destroyed by what you did, I have a name-and you know it." She pointed to him, satisfied by the fact that she had his complete attention.

" You know all about me, don't you?" She spoke, bitter self-satisfaction in her voice.

"You know all about who I am and what I do, that detective-thorn in your side who you just couldn't wipe out. It must make you really pissed to know that with all your power, and all your henchmen, you couldn't take me out. Just one cop…with a writer at her side, a weaponless writer! … and you still lost." She looked to Castle, who held her gaze, completely supportive and vindicated by her words of power.

"So when you rot in prison former senator, and you will, and you think about all your regrets and your failures, remember me. Know I'll be living my life to the fullest, I'll be living out everything Johanna Beckett wanted for her daughter." She glared at him.

"I hope you remember me in your darkest hour. I hope you remember my mother, because you may have killed her…but in the end, she took you down. Even from beyond the grave, she managed to tear you apart, which is what she aimed to do in the first place you son of a bitch." She stood then, adding one final thought before she exited the courtroom,

"Good luck in Hell Mr. Berkeley, think of me often. Remember though, as you do, that this is the last time I'm ever going to give your sorry ass another thought."

With that, she simply walked from the courtroom, in the end, justice came, and her mom's death was not meaningless. It was that investigation that unraveled everything afterall.

* * *

She smiled to herself as she remembered that moment, the day where she took a place of power for herself and for her mother, it was a power that could never be taken from her again and it gave her the closure to move on with her life.

As they made their way passed the grave stones, they arrived at the memorial for Johanna Beckett. There, Kate took the blanket and laid it out, spreading the multi-colored flowers out across the front of the grave.

Castle moved to sit beside her then, allowing their daughter to toddle happily to her mom. Charlotte steadied herself on Kate's folded legs, looking around at the scenery. It was unseasonably warm for that November day, the sun shining directly down on them making it even more temperate.

Kate moved to take the little hat from the daughter's head, allowing her brown curls to fly around in the breeze. Her light button-up pink sweater remained on, as did the matching dress and white leggings, keeping her little body warm. Charlotte kept her little palms on Kate's knee while turning to look at the grave.

She pointed and turned to Castle, "mama fower." She said, pointing to the flowers that her mother had just laid on the grave.

"That's right sweet girl. You're mama put those flowers there." Charlotte nodded, satisfied that her daddy understood what she was trying to tell him.

She walked over to the flowers and picked one up, "wello fower." She spoke, describing the yellow-colored flower in her hands. Kate smiled "That's my smart girl." The truth was, Charlotte only had down that there were different colors, she knew white and black, and every other color that was not white or black, which she called "wello." She'd not grasped that yellow was just one color and not the word for all colors.

"Charlotte, baby girl, can you come here?" She asked her daughter, who was bending over the flowers and re-arranging them in her own intricate pattern. Charlotte turned and walked back to her mom, allowing herself to be picked up and set on Kate's lap.

Castle moved in close to his wife, placing an arm around her neck and kissing her cheek softly, while Kate cuddled Charlotte close to her body. The child still held on to the single yellow flower. There, on that mild November afternoon, sun shining down on the family, Kate began to tell her daughter a story.

"Baby girl, let me tell you all about an amazing and brave heroine, a strong and beautiful woman who helped lots and lots of people. I want to tell you the story of your grandma."

**The End.**

* * *

**So I do hope you liked the ending. One of the first scenes I wrote was the graveyard scene, knowing that flashbacks to the birth and the trial would be written in as well. :) **


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